Code Axis Power
by Fantasy-Magician
Summary: Set one year before canon timeline. In which Lelouch is chosen to be the next owner of Mare ring. Could he handle this power or will he fall prey to its power? Tsunayoshi vowed that he won'tt let Lelouch to fall to the same path as Byakuran, but revenge driven man like Lelouch would be difficult to reason with. Oh well, nothing spartan tutor and gun can't fix. RIGHT?
1. Chapter 1

**Just another idea that can't leave my poor mind alone so I have to write it up! I am really sorry for my long hiatus but it can't be helped. Parallel Axis is in progress for next chap at any rate! **

**Basically what if Lelouch get the power of Mare ring instead of geass~ and this Tsuna is the same Tsuna or rather one with the same characterization I wrote in my Axis. **

* * *

**Chapter 1: Starting Line**

EU and Brittania were ragging war to each other, and with it the pressure of EU put on them to join the army grow strong. Vongola, Giglio Nero, and Millfiore were well aware they'd tip the balance of power between the three if mafia involved in war. They also had to consider their status as Trinisette holders, and their duty to protect the balance. The moment war broke out of control Italian Mafia community that led by Vongola cut themselves off of the world. Using their advanced technology and fortune, they established an isolated country called Neo Italia. A truly independent and self-governed country by mafia, a country cloaked heavily by mist flame and strongest barrier flame based technology could create.

Any attempt to infiltrate the country ended in failure as nature was not in their favor, storm, lightning, mist, rain… unstable weather that couldn't explained scientifically tore the armies that dared to come near apart. EU had given up all attempts to ask for alliance from the isolated Italia, Chinese Federation was too far away to care and Britannia… the last super power country was still circling them like a hawk and waiting for a chance to sink their claw on them.

**2016 a.t.d, CEDEF HQ **

BANG!

Iemitsu eyed his son, the one who just recently become the tenth boss of Vongola famiglia. His son was angry, then again when Tsunayoshi wasn't when he was around? Since that fateful day all emotion he had seen on Tsuna when they're face to face were anger, disappointment, regret, frustration, disgust and what else his son reserved for the most horrible father he had been to Tsuna.

Then again… "It's unbecoming for Decimo to barge in and slamming your fist on the table of your advisor." He said coolly.

Tsuna growled "Unbecoming of Vongola Decimo?" He echoed sarcastically, "If you're going to lecture me about manner, save it father! I don't care, and frankly… your sense of priority disgust me… "

"And…" Iemitsu droned, "Our famiglia _always _comes first, _Decimo." _

How Tsuna wished he could unhinge his father's jaw for that, but he knew that as the boss of Vongola he had to agree with Iemitsu regardless of his personal feeling.

He took a deep breath, "How long do you intent to keep us isolated here? You promised we'd be allowed to go back after we settled the conflict of Trinisette!" Tsuna roared angrily, "I defeated Xanxus in ring battle, I took mantle as Vongola Decimo… I… stop Byakuran." He listed on with more rage as time passed, "What else do you want?!" He demanded.

"I want you to keep your head cool and do your duty to our famiglia, don't let yourself distracted by anything else." Was Iemitsu's clipped reply.

Tsuna didn't believe what he had just heard from his advisor, "Anything else?" He repeated, "You called World War something distracting?! Have you forgotten that war had killed Natsu and mother?! Your son and wife!" Iemitsu flinched at that, "Glad you're not, but you let yourself ignorant." Tsuna hissed, "For what end? How long we're going to let ourselves cooped up in our territory?!"

Iemitsu glared at his lone son, "So, you want to risk your live out there for world peace? I have seen countless men died for…"

Tsuna cut him off, "Since when you care?" He asked in mock disbelief, "Do you think I didn't risk my life when _you_ made me fight Xanxus in ring battle?!" Iemitsu stiffened at that but before he could retort Tsuna didn't give him the chance, "I don't care it's your trust or you're forced to make me the heir, the fact remains I risked my life on the path you _made_ me to walk on and now you question the foolishness of risking my life?!" He asked incredulously. "That's rich! Last time I recalled it's _you_ who drag me into this and it's _me_ who was kicking and screaming as you drag me to this bloody path!"

"Tsuna… you… don't understand." Iemitsu murmured sadly.

Something inside Tsuna snapped at the last sentence Iemitsu uttered, "It's always _me_ who don't understand... " He tried to understand but he never could, and his father never let him to understand. "No it's not me!" He hissed venomously as he stepped back, "It's NOT me… IT'S YOU!" He shouted furiously as he slammed the door to his father's office shut.

Iemitsu rested his face on his clasped hand as a lone tear fell from his eyes, "Tsuna…"

**Memoriale del Mare**

"Byakuran… it's been a while." He murmured, as he placed a bouquet of white orchid, not the kind of flower you usually bring to someone's grave but it was Byakuran's favourite. "Not that long I guess…" He sighed wearily, just two weeks but it felt like years.

Time feels like flowing slower and slower after his shoulder was weighed down by the mantle of Vongola, he could barely recall the look of horror and incredulity on his father's face and upper echelon's when he showed up in his inheritance ceremony with white version of Vongola Primo's stripped suite. Mafia never wore white, he and Byakuran did to make a statement.

Byakuran went overboard with his statement however and Tsuna had to…

"I am not sure I should feel sorry or not, but is this really what you wanted Byakuran?"

Of course the dead was always silent but Tsuna wanted to release the pent up frustration to someone who wouldn't worry about him or kicked him like Reborn for it.

He sighed, "We never really get along… even though you and I… respective owner, the skies of Trinisette." He continued wearily, "But still… I wish things could have gone better between us." He admitted sadly, "I wish you and sister Aria didn't have to be like this…"

"Master Tsunayoshi."

Tsuna gritted his teeth and scowled at the owner of monotone voice he had come to hate, turning around to face the twin rose haired women in mask. "What do you want Cervello?!"

"We have to inform you about something." One of the two murmured, "It's…"

Tsuna waved his and in sweeping motion, cutting her off. "It can wait." He growled out, "Leave me alone, I don't want to see you anywhere near my fellow sky's memorial!"

"But Master Tsunayoshi…." She pleaded, "by all rights a traitor doesn't deserve a memorial and as one of true owner of triniset…"

"WHOSE FAULT DO YOU THINK THAT HE BETRAYED TRINISETTE?!" Tsuna shouted furiously, a gun raised and the cervello gasped as they were held at gunpoint. "Now, leave! I will not repeat myself again!"

Cervello swallowed, "As you wish Master… however we still have to talk to you immediately." She said and before Tsuna could utter an objection she presented him with an ornate white box, the same as one presented to him before his ring battle but dipped in white and gold.

Tsuna's eyes were wide in fury, "Not even a month passed and you already want to replace him." He snorted, "So… we're not as special as we thought."

"This is the will of humanity Master Tsunayoshi." The cervello murmured.

The one with softer voice added, "True owner of Trinisette like you is not indispensable… however the need of next owner is unavoidable. The next owner is much like Byakuran was… an unknown factor. We don't want a repeat of mistake…"

Tsunayoshi snorted, "Of course… now you think shoving rings wih power to conquer the world to the hands of a college student is a mistake! Byakuran was never ready for the power of Mare ring but you forced it on him… and now I wonder how you want to avoid forcing someone to shoulder this burden before he or she is ready?"

The Cervello swallowed, "That's why we'd like you to investigate the new candidate yourself… with your hyper intuituion we believe your judgement would suffice to determine the suitability of our new candidate for Mare ring."

Tsuna tensed at that, did he hear that right? "Wait… you dumping your job on me aside… is this mean I'm allowed to go back to Manhome?" That's what they called the world below their country nowadays,

Cervello nodded, "You will be granted permission to do so, however… you're not allowed to do anything that's not related to this mission _at all." _

Of course, God forbid he did something useful for the good of the world. "Unless I'm forced to defend myself and the candidate." They hesitated for a moment before they gave a curt nod. "I don't want you to follow me around, and I will assess the candidate on my own terms."

They swallowed, "The first is acceptable, so does the third but the second one…"

"I will contact you everyday at 6PM and reported my progress." Tsuna cut her smoothly. "Take it or leave it." Tsuna had no patience to haggle more than this, they wanted him to do their work so he might as well got to do it his way.

They knew trying to get Decimo to do their bidding was like squeezing water from stone, even if he agreed to their terms it would be done the way he see fit. He might be regarded as benevolent leader, but his generosity and kindness didn't extend to them.

"Very well…" They relented.

Tsuna smirked, "Excellent… "

* * *

**3 Days Later… **

A lot of people were unhappy with his departure slash mission slash vacation, his father was a hopeless case but even his father couldn't say anything when it comes to Trinisette's policy. The upper echelon just sat back and bristled, he cared not but a few people who were upset with him because they cared, which including his very own storm guardian. He brought Takeshi and Chrome with him but not Hayato. Then again as much as Tsuna depend on his right hand man, he knew Hayato was better use at home rather than following him to assess the new owner of Mare ring. He needed Hayato here to be his substitute, and that's why he ordered Hayato to stay.

"You're my right hand man." Tsuna drawled, "My second in command." He added, "I need you here… more than I need any of my guardians to come with me."

Hayato squared his shoulder, "I'm understand.. boss." Then he glared at the grinning Takeshi, "Keep our boss safe, and stay out of trouble."

"Hai~" He saluted cheerfully.

Hayato stared for a few minutes at the grinning loon then turned to the lone female member of their group. "Keep him out of trouble, I beg you Chrome."

Chrome sweat-dropped, apparently while Hayato could trust his back and their boss to Takeshi he didn't have a shred of trust when it comes to their boss' and Takeshi's penchant in attracting trouble. "I will."

"At any rate boss… would you be alright… to return to Japan? Your homeland is no longer the same as it use to be." Hayato murmured worriedly.

Tsuna smiled sadly at that, "I know… but my business is in Tokyo settlement."

* * *

**Japan (Area 11, Ashford Academy's garden) **

He opened a thin file of profile which including an address. "Ashford Academy… Lelouch Lamperouge…" His eyes roll briefly at the ebony haired boy who was chatting with his friends. "Zoom in." He murmured softly to his earphone and the lense on his eyes followed the command and zoomed in to the ebony haired boy.

Lelouch Lamperouge was a tall, lean boy with ebony hair and amethyst colored eyes. Just from one look you could tell he hold the status as school hottie, legitimately proofed by a pack of fangirls sighing and watching from a distance. There was an aloof air around him, and in spite of the bustling and happy atsmosphere around him, Tsuna could tell he was strangely… out of place. The best comparison would be seeing a circle on the group of square and triangle.

The boy was bored… sometimes he wondered if it's possible for his hyper intuition to go on vacation at the time like this. On second thought the boredom the boy's body spoke was not a plain boredom school boys had, no… it was… something alike with his frustration of this world. Perhaps Lelouch Lamperouge held little love to his normal and boring life as student.

"Well… if he pass, he will get what he wants." Takeshi murmured softly.

It's been a few days since they came back to Japan (he refused to call it Area 11) and as far as observation goes, Lelouch' life was more interesting than any ordinary school boys. The boy had interesting side-job, a chess gambler and a notorious one at that. Since they're going to recruit him for a criminal organization, his gambling problem was not a concern. However… what Tsuna was disturbed with… it was Lelouch had too much money. There's nothing wrong with the money, but a middle-school student didn't need _that _much money and risking his life in the process. It was a miracle the nobles paid Lelouch generously to keep his mouth shut about their terrible loses, that no one had the gall to just kill the boy. Lelouch was playing with fire for money, and Tsuna was curious why he went to such length for it.

"And Cervello think it would be brilliant that I waste my time to research on his background instead of providing it for me and save my precious time." He grumbled under his breath. "But still…" He trailed off from his hiding place, on the branch of lush trees. "Lelouch is an unusual name, but I feel like I've heard of it before." He was no Hayato so his memory was not the best.

Takeshi frowned at that, "I have to agree his name sounds familiar, unique name like that tend to stuck to mind." Tsuna glanced at Takeshi and noticed thoughtful look and Takeshi's face signaled that he had better memory of the name 'Lelouch' than Tsuna.

"If boss and Takeshi feels like you ever heard of his name somewhere, Lelouch-san must be a famous person." Chrome chimed in.

Tsuna frowned at that, "Famous persons Reborn insist that I have to remember are royalties, military folks, business tycoons and the like." He drawled, "And Lelouch is not any of those…"

"True…" Takeshi agreed, "Lelouch… Lelouch…" Takeshi's eyes widened, "I don't remember exactly, but I remember that I heard it before invasion! From my dad!"

Takeshi rarely spoke of his late father, but Tsuna had a feeling it was important enough that Takeshi was willing to recall the memory. "From your dad?"

"Not exactly… he was speaking with someone else and that name came up, I just happen to hear it when I am going to ask dad for some training." Takeshi explained. "I think it's Tohdoh Kyoushiro-san, dad's old friend…" It's hard to forget someone like the war veteran, a perfect epitome of Japanese samurai and soldier and the one who responsible for the sole victory Japanese ever had against Britania.

Tsuna's eyes widened at that, "What's the chance of the name of a random Britanian kid to pop up between a General and a sushi bar owner? Before the invasion no less?"

"Maybe this Lelouch guy is not just a random school boy who is going in misspent youth period." Takeshi quipped, "But seriously… what's the chance of Trinisette to choose random guy off of a street?"

Tsuna shrugged at that, "Didn't Cervello shoved Mare ring to Byakuran on the way back from his university?"

"Ah." Chrome titled her head to the side. "They did."

"To be honest there're a number of similarities between Byakuran and Lelouch." Tsuna admitted, "They're both intelligent… cunning." Which was obvious in Lelouch's case with his exploit in chess. "And unsatisfied of their mundane life… they're bored." Tsuna frowned, "The latter is a minus in my book." Boredom, Trinisette and intelligence were a dangerous mix, as they had learned from Byakuran.

Takeshi frowned at that, while he didn't hate Byakuran explicitly he couldn't help but disliked him for forcing Tsuna's hand. "Should we call this mission off? The guy is too alike with Byakuran should be a suffice enough reason as we don't want a repeat."

Normally no one would buy such reason, but if it's Tsuna they would. "I want to drag this on a little longer."

"The vacation."

"No!" Tsuna said petulantly, "Hyper intuition or not, I won't decide his fate on three days observation."

"So what're we going to do?" Chrome asked curiously, "Boss?"

"Find out more about Lelouch Lamperouge…"

* * *

**The next day, Tokyo Public Library **

"I am an idiot." Tsuna murmured as he stared at the headlines of a numerous newspapers on the table. He had Chrome cloaking them inside the curtain of mist so no one could see them scattering newspapers from eighteen to six years ago.

**MARIANNE 'THE FLASH' BECOME EMPEROR'S FIFTH CONSORT! **

**EMPRESS MARIANNE GIVE BIRTH ON 5****TH**** DECEMBER, HIS SON IS NAMED LELOUCH VI BRITANNIA! **

**EMPRESS MARIANNE IS ASSASINATED! TERRORIST ATTACK?! **

**PRINCE LELOUCH VI BRITANNIA AND NUNNALLY VI BRITANNIA COME TO JAPAN! PEACE NEGOTIATION BETWEEN JAPAN AND BRITANNIA IS STILL UNDERWAY!**

**INVASION TO JAPAN, PRINCE LELOUCH VI BRITANNIA AND PRINCESS NUNNALY VI BRITANNIA ARE DECLARED MISSING! **

**MEMORIALS IN THE HONOR OF VI BRITTANIA'S PRINCE AND PRINCESS ARE BUILT BY VICEROY CLOVIS LA BRITANNIA. **

"No wonder I ever heard his name somewhere… mom cooed about poor boy who had to be hostage in foreign land." Tsuna drawled, recalling his mother's teary face as she watched the news about the poor prince and princess. "The photo in this newspapers are too small, I can't see Prince Lelouch clearly."

You could barely make out a ten years old boy and a younger girl in wheelchair. "But I have seen the photo of Marianne the flash… and the emperor… the same ebony hair and deep purple eyes."

In the article about the birth of eleventh prince, the writer didn't fail to mention out his children only Lelouch vi Britannia had his father's deep purple eyes. Apparently it was a pretty rare eye color in royal family.

Takeshi looked at the newspaper incredulously, "We're going to recruit a prince of Britannia to be the holder of Mare ring?!"

"This is cosmic joke at its finest." Tsuna admitted, "At any rate… it's safe to assume that he was an ex-prince as he has not contacted his family to pick him up." He concluded, "As the eleventh prince he has shaky political position, crippled sister and dead commoner born mother to boot… I can understand why he doesn't want to go back to his family."

In Darwinist territory like Imperial palace, it was a dead trap for the Vi Britannia children.

"So…" Chrome began, "We can recruit him or not Boss?"

Tsuna rubbed his temple, it's going to be a headache. "Cervello just sent me an email in which they inform me that if Lelouch Lamperouge is not a suitable candidate I have to get him killed so Mare will move on to the next suitable owner available."

"…"

"…"

He smiled at them, assuring his guardian that he won't do such horrible thing. "I can't… and I won't kill Lelouch Lamperouge, Vi Britannia… eleventh prince or whoever he is." Tsuna stated coldly, "He has peoples who love him and life ahead… I won't let Trinisette took that away just because he could be second coming of Byakuran."

"Tsuna…"

"Boss."

"That's why… I am going to come from the front~ Let's just give him a direct interview and be done with it." Tsuna decided.

**"Eh?!"**

* * *

**Ashford Academy, country house. **

Takeshi sighed as he stealthily darted from one tree to another, careful to not trigger any trap Shinozaki Sayoko laid around the country house. Apparently Ashford family hired a ninja from Shinozaki clan to serve them and assigned the said ninja to guard the Lamperouge siblings. Shinozaki was famous clan of ninja specialized in assassination, if he didn't approach carefully it would be a blood bath.

As he came within twenty feet distance from the house Shinozaki Sayoko didn't waste time to come out with kunai ready to be thrown. "Gomenasai!" He began in Japanese, _"I come in peace… I mean no harm to your master. My master requested a meeting with yours, it's urgent."_

_"Can I trust you young man?" _She asked skeptically. _"You're armed to the teeth, how can I believe you mean no harm to my master?" _

Takeshi shrugged, _"I swear in my honor and my master's… and if I mean harm to your master I wouldn't be here to meet you first instead of assassinating him in class when he is out of your watch." _He pointed out nonchalantly.

Sayoko frowned at that, _"Very well…I will inform Master Lelouch, but keep in mind that I will be near and one wrong move both you and your master will die." _

_"Fair enough." _Takeshi replied, _"But believe me, this meeting is for your master's sake." _

It took a few knock for Lelouch to stop working on his essay and opened the door to find Sayoko looked slightly nervous, a rare sight to be seen on the their stoic maid. "Sayoko, what's wrong?"

"You have a guest Master Lelouch." She informed him, "However the said guest come with a bodyguard, he… insist that he need to see you and I suggest you approach this meeting with caution."

Lelouch tensed, his mind reeling to numerous plans in how to approach this problem. However there's no solid plan as he was as blind as a bat, not enough information to plan for anything. "Very well…" He slowly opened his drawer, reached out for a small gun and put it inside his pocket. Thankfully his dress shirt was long enough to cover the side pocket of his black pants. "I will see this mysterious guest of ours."

Lelouch was surprised to see a Japanese man with jet black hair, brown eyes, dressed in black suit with light blue tie sitting on the sofa of their living room. Beside the Japanese man was a brunette few inches shorter than the Japanese, Lelouch at first thought this was another Japanese but one look at those amber eyes he knew this man had European origin, a half probably since he still had a distinct Asian features. The probably half-bred was wearing a pin white stripped suit, it was not too fancy but Lelouch could tell it was a high quality one. His appearance aside Lelouch couldn't decide whether he had to be warry or not when the shorter boy gave him a genuine smile, stood and offered his hand for a handshake.

His first instinct was to answer that hand with his gun but he accepted the hand peacefully. "My name is Tsunayoshi Sawada." He introduced himself, "Nice to meet you."

"Lelouch Lamperouge." Lelouch returned, slightly shocked to hear Japanese name instead of a European sounded one. "The pleasure is mine."

Tsuna smiled as both he and Lelouch sat across each other, his hyper intuition humming as he observed the ebony haired boy. He didn't miss the slight twitch when Lelouch almost reached out for his side pocket, and slight quirk on his mouth and other body language that signaled Lelouch's anxiety.

"First of all…" He began solemnly, "I'd like to assure you that I have no ill intent towards you and your sister, I know you're armed." Lelouch tensed at that, "I am not." He informed the ebony haired boy, of course he left out the information that he was a hand to hand combat type of fighter as he didn't need the paranoid ex-prince to be frightened more than he already was.

Sayoko glared at Takeshi, and Lelouch noticed the subtle message that Tsuna's bodyguard was armed so it's a moot point that Tsuna wasn't. "Your bodyguard is."

"So does yours." Tsuna pointed out back. "Let them keep theirs… I just need to talk to you, and it's really important. I won't even mind talking when you hold me at gunpoint if it will ease your anxiety."

Lelouch stiffened at that, "Very well… so, how important this business of yours?" Lelouch asked curiously, his right hand was in his side pocket, ready to draw his gun whenever he need it.

Tsuna smiled at that, "Enough to change your life forever." Judging from Lelouch's frown that was not a good answer, "I am sure you ever heard of the lost country of Italia…"

Lelouch frowned deeper at that, "Yes… a country in Europe continent that suddenly disappeared overnight." Lelouch had been very curious of one country Britannia couldn't conquer, not because of the lack of power but because the said country just gone poof and replaced by the equal of Bermuda Triangle overnight. Both EU and Britannia were running around like headless chicken around the border, and Lelouch silently applauded Italy for pulling one on his father.

"The country disappeared overnight the moment second Pacific war broke out on demand of the organization who rule the country from the shadow, because they had to protect their treasure from the hand of superpower countries…" Tsuna droned on as he continues to recite basic history of the lost country, or how they tried to justify hiding from the world not out of cowardice but necessity.

Lelouch narrowed his eyes as Tsuna asked if he get the story so far or he had any question. "You're telling me that the official government of Italy was just…"

"Figureheads?" Tsuna drawled, "Pretty much so." He admitted shamelessly, at incredulous look Lelouch gave him Tsuna snorted. "What? Even CF is like that…although now we're out in the open so there's not much of shadow government anymore."

Lelouch could feel his left eyebrow twitch at that, "Who are we you're speaking about?"

"Mafia." Tsuna answered lightly as if he was talking about the weather.

It took Lelouch one full second to assembly every information he knew regarding one accursed word, criminal organization, gun, black suit, Italia, Sicily, terror, violence, and citrus fruit business. Tsuna in the other hand was very fascinated when his hyper intuition informed him that Lelouch was deep in thought, and judging from his blank expression there're a lot running on his pretty little head.

"So… you're a criminal?" Lelouch began slowly.

Tsuna rolled his eyes at that, "Depends on what is your description of criminal, those who break law? We're the government of our own country… we make our own law." They owned the country since the founding of Vongola and hilariously it was Alaude, he first Cloud Guardian and a mafia who wrote the law and that right was inherited by CEDEF leaders since then. "Regardless of what history described us as, presently we're closer to Business Company with military power to back us up." Tsuna explained. "But of course I won't deny that by nature we're still very much mafia, men of honor dwelling in industry of violence."

Lelouch narrowed his eyes, "I can't say that's worse than the three superpowers… Britannia especially." He took a deep breath, "But still… I don't understand why you approach me, is it because…" Lelouch trailed off.

Tsuna sighed at that, "I know your heritage." Lelouch tensed, "It has nothing to do with that and frankly… although it does make things become even more complicated."

"What do you mean?" Lelouch asked curiously. "Get to the point, you're putting in a very unpleasant situation. You found out who I am and I would like to know how, as I need to cover that up so no one will find out about us the same way you do!" He shouted furiously.

Tsuna raised his hand in placating gesture, "I will… as for how we found out about you, we will cover that up for you so you don't have to worry. So let's get to the reason I come for you alright?"

He was not assured by such promise, but he'd get his answer sooner or later. "Fine, now talk." He ordered.

Tsuna was very glad he didn't take Hayato with him, his right hand man would never forgive Lelouch' attitude. "The reason Italy… mafia went to hiding is not merely to avoid conflict with the three super power but also to protect our power." He said as he raised his hand slowly and a small burst of unnatural flame came to life.

"What is that?" Lelouch would call it a parlor trick normally but he could feel the heat and the color if the flame was unnatural.

Tsuna smiled as he willed the flame away, "Flame of Resolution or Dying Will… manifestation of our resolution." He smirked.

"You're armed then." Lelouch scowled.

Tsuna shrugged, "Doesn't count." He retorted, "My flame is pretty much part of my body I can wield as weapon."

Lelouch swallowed. "Is that why Britannia didn't give up trying to snuff you guys out?" How like his father to want something like this.

The tenth boss nodded, "One of many things but I believe they wanted our treasure more, our power and technology would be a nice bonus I suppose. Since the genesis of mafia, we're granted by three sets of treasure known as Trinisette… "

Lelouch listened as Tsuna went on to explain the origin of Trinisette, which were the Rings that make up the **Tri-ni-set**, or 7³. It is the foundation of this world. The Tri-ni-set is a device that guides the growth and development of life on Earth while maintaining a balance of its life force.

"The sets are Vongola, Mare and Arcobaleno…" Tsuna listed on.

Lelouch narrowed his eyes, "Clam, Sea and Rainbow in Italian respectively."

Tsuna nodded, "I will not bore you with more details… " Lelouch know that's not the case, but Tsuna was unwilling to part more than he already did before he assured Lelouch's alliance. "The reason I come here is because we need the new holder of Mare ring set, and they choose **you** as their next owner."

"What?"

"You're to be the next holder of Mare ring…" Tsunayoshi finished with a thin smile on his lips to the bewildered ex-prince.

Review Please!


	2. Chapter 2

**Glad you like first chapter so here is the second part!**

* * *

**Chapter 2: Departing **

"What?"

"You're to be the next holder of Mare ring…" Tsunayoshi finished with a thin smile on his lips to the bewildered ex-prince.

Lelouch's eyes widened in shock, they wanted to give him one of the Trinisette? A treasure that hold the balance of the world? "You're giving such treasure away just like that?"

Tsuna shook his head, "I am not giving it away, it _choose_ you."

Which pretty much said no one had any say in the ownership but the Trinisete itself. "Like sword on the stone?"

"Yes." Tsuna concurred, "This is a contract that shall bind you for the rest of your life, think carefully… so what's your answer Lelouch Lamperouge?"

Lelouch took a deep breath and he gave his answer, "No answer as you didn't tell me a lot of things, I am not a fool who will take gift horse on the mouth." No matter how tempting.

He considered his options, "You may ask but some things… I can't answer before you agree to this proposition," Tsuna drawled.

Lelouch pondered this for a moment before he agreed, "Very well, first question… why you're suddenly short one owner? With long history of mafia I am sure it should be passed down from generation to generation."

Tsuna sighed at that, "Good question and I can answer that." He took a deep breath, "The previous owner died in our recent civil war... he has no heir. And mare ring's succession is not through a bloodline."

"Civil war?" Lelouch inquired.

"Yes." There was a tone of finality in Tsuna's voice and Lelouch understood he had no right to ask the detail before he became a part of them.

Lelouch swallowed as he prepared the next question, "What is it in me if I agree to this offer?"

Tsuna laughed softly at that, "Hm… wealth and power are the obvious things, but things you're concerned the most is secrecy and safety of yourself and your sister." Lelouch couldn't disagree about that, he didn't believe too much in their safety in Ashford now, since Tsuna who had only been here for few days had found them out quite easily. "Consider everything concerning your sister's well being covered." Tsuna was not ashamed to give another push, "We could even try to give her mobility and eyesight back… "

Lelouch couldn't believe his ears, they could give Nunnaly's eyesight and mobiliy back?! "You're not lying aren't you?" He asked hesitantly.

Tsuna shook his head, "For her mobility I am sure we could offer her this to get it back." He pushed a thin file on the table and asked the ebony haired boy to see it for himself.

Lelouch read the file and was startled by what it offered, it was an advanced and complete version of Rakshata Chawla's technology of artificial limbs. "You're serious…"

He nodded, "As for her eyesight… it depends on the cause."

"It's blindness that induced by trauma." Lelouch answered quickly. "Physically there's nothing wrong with her eyes." There's no cure for that by current technology as far as he knew.

Tsuna looked thoughtful before he replied, "Still possible." Recalling his mist guardian capability regarding mental related matter. "I am not the expert on this but I know enough to tell you there is a possibility we could help with that."

Lelouch would have think Tsuna lied to him if he say they could heal Nunnally's eyesight, but Tsuna promised a possibility instead. That was more than Pendragon's doctors ever offered. It was only his logic that stopped Lelouch from relenting without second thought, so he exerted all self-control he had to not jump to Tsuna's ship recklessly. "How about my heritage?"

"Do you still love your Darwinist country after everything you've been through?" Tsuna asked back.

"No." His reply had been immediate and sharp. "I hold no love for a country where people like Nunnally is looked down upon."

Tsuna smiled at that, "I thought so, there's a reason you're here under false identity rather than in Pendragon. Anything else? Shall we hear your answer?"

Lelouch took a deep breath, "Is there any downside of the power Trinisette wil grant us?"

Tsuna tensed a little before he relaxed, "I'm not going to lie, there is." Lelouch felt his stomach turn at that, "I can't tell you what power Mare ring possessed before you gave me your cooperation, but I will warn you that it require you to organize your mind carefully or you will lose sight of yourself. You need complete control of your mind and emotion to handle its power, or you will become insane… "

Lelouch swallowed at that, "SO… You offer me my sister's wellbeing, wealth and power in exchange of my sanity?" He asked incredulously.

The brunette shook his head, "As long as you keep its power in check and not tempted to abuse it, you will come out of this contract with your sanity intact." He assured the amethyst-eyed boy. "The same risk applies to me as the holder of Vongola ring, but my mental stability is fine by mafia standard at least. It's just like holding gun, careful when you hold it or you will end up shooting yourself kind of risk."

The ex-prince contemplated of what he had been informed of by the mafia, and wondered if there's any reason to refuse. The problem was, since Tsuna brought up they could give Nunnaly's mobility and eyesight back, he didn't know what length he wouldn't go for his sister. The risk of insanity seemed to be a small price in comparison of Nunnally's happiness. Not to mention the risk apparently depend on himself. He was confident of his self-control, after all he had been biding his time for years to avenge his mother.

Speaking of his revenge…

"Am I allowed to use this power to get my revenge on Britannia?" Lelouch asked carefully.

Tsuna knew he had seen this one coming miles away, it was too convenient the Emperor had sent the Vi Britannia children few months to Japan as hostages after his Empress' death. It was very likely Lelouch did something to aggravate his father and kicked out of Pendragon for his trouble and now the young ex-prince wanted revenge.

Lelouch froze when he saw Tsuna's amber eyes suddenly pinning him down in place, scrutinizing him as if those eyes saw through his layers of deception. "My ancestry is Italian but our family have long retired to Japan… and in invasion si years ago my mother and younger twin brother are one of its victim." Lelouch's eyes widened at that, "I want the same as you do… but there's nothing I can promise you about it as we're demanded to take care of our internal problem first before we're allowed to get revenge on Britannia… but I have to inform you that the power of Trinisette is not for revenge, you can use anything else however… "

Which mean the technology was not out of option.

"Look… if you're agree you can see for yourself all assets that come with Mare ring which didn't involve the power of the ring itself." Tsuna pointed out. "So can I hear your answer?"

"Am I required to move to Italy?" Lelouch asked hesitantly.

Tsuna heaved a sigh at that, "Yes… but as soon as everything become stable you're free to venture as you please. Of course you have always to be in contact with us."

"Which mean I am free as much as my leash allowed me to?" Lelouch rephrased with a scoff.

He snorted, "As the holder of Vongola ring I am in the same situation." Tsuna admitted, "As much as I loathe it, the fact remains we can't risk having a megalomania with the power of Trinisette running around unchecked."

"Point." Lelouch admitted. "So… should I arrange a cover story of why I have to leave to who knows where or you will provide me with one?" He asked smoothly.

"Is that a yes?" Tsuna asked hopefully.

"Yes, I will be the new holder of Mare ring for you, but I have three requests." Lelouch held up three fingers.

"Fire away." Tsuna shrugged. "As long as it's within our power.

Lelouch took a deep breath, "I want you to guarantee Nunnally's safety and well being, I don't know about your real society but from what I read and heard they're unruly bunch."

"Easily done…" Actually Tsuna could easily see many of their famiglia would dote on Nunnally, they always had soft spot for little girl. But he won't tell Lelouch he could take that request for granted, he was dealing with a teenager driven by revenge here. Oh well nothing row of Spartan teachers back home couldn't fix~

"I want detailed information about my predecessors and most importantly about the circumstances of their death." Lelouch folded his second finger.

Tsuna sighed at that, "Reasonable but not now… "

"When?" Lelouch demanded.

"Before you start your training to take on the mantle. Which would start around one month from now… and your teacher would be the one who told you." Tsuna offered, "Mine last around a year."

Lelouch was tempted very much to say the timeline was unacceptable but he held his tongue, "Very well, and the last one… I want your help to get my revenge on Britannia."

"I will consider the third one." Tsuna replied in a heartbeat, "I am the leader of a gigantic organization, I can't make decision for myself since everything about me involves my family."

Lelouch smirked at that, "You passed."

"What?"

"If you so quickly promise me the third request you're a fool, and a man who hold power over so many people shouldn't act so recklessly on behest of an ex-prince like myself." Then he added, "Even if both of us wants revenge on Britannia…"

Tsuna narrowed his eyes, "I see… " Then he smiled, a smile so carefree that it took Lelouch off guard. "Glad you're pleased then… Lelouch Lamperouge. I was wondering what kind of reaction you will give me when I answer you, and I have to say I am very pleased with you too."

Lelouch tensed a little before he forced some semblance of control over his face, "Well…"

"You're very smart." Tsuna said out of the blue, "When did you start to notice that the purpose of this conversation is too test your worth? I have to say it's surprising that you try to test me back."

"I…"

Tsuna raised his hands in placating gesture, "No don't worry… it's not offending at all or anything, if anything you just proved yourself as someone capable."

Takeshi for the first time since the conversation began laughed softly, "Boss, I think you better explain yourself… you read him like an open book and he is freaked out."

Tsuna blinked at that, "I see… " Tsuna looked apologetic as he said it, "I can't read mind if that's what you're suspecting."

The ex-prince could tell Sayoko shifted behind him, and if necessary she'd clash with Tsuna's bodyguard. "The benefit of Vongola ring?"

Tsuna shook his head, "A family trait called hyper intuition… extraordinary perception which enable us to instinctively understand body language no matter how subtle it is… "

What a convenient blood trait, and very close to mind reading as far as Lelouch concerned. Which mean trying to deceive Sawada Tsunayoshi a very foolish and useless move. He could see why this seemingly kind person could survive in mafia society, Tsuna had it in him to back up that kindness.

Lelouch hesitated when a thought crossed his mind then he steeled his resolve, "If I accept this contract… what are you to me as the holder of Mare ring?"

A friend? Foe? Rival?

Tsuna just smiled at that before he lock his amber eyes to Lelouch's and he answered. "An accomplish… neither would be able to betray each other, and soon even if the world go against you… we will be standing on the same side… to change this world…"

The ex-prince opened his mouth to retort, ready to protest no one crazy enough wanting to back up someone against the world even if that was in rhetorical sense. Well… Suzaku might do it with him as long as it's not immoral, the old Suzaku at least. But Sawada Tsunayoshi offered that as if that was the most normal thing in the world.

"This power is also a curse Lelouch…" Tsuna elaborated, "The moment you accept the same burden as I do, the least I could do as someone who give you the last push toward this path is to become your ally…" Because the last person who hold Mare ring was so lonely and Tsuna in spite of being there was unable to do a thing to help Byakuran. He won't let Lelouch to go down to the same path as Byakuran, he would be damned if he had to lose his fellow sky again.

He swallowed, "Are you serious? Hyper intuition or not you can't be seriously offer such loyalty to someone you barely know! Let me tell you! I am planning for years to change the world and it start from obliterating Britannia! Are you going to be on my side regardless?"

"I will... and it's not like I don't have the same wish… to change this war tainted world…" Tsuna admitted as Lelouch looked at him belwideredly, "I am willing to take the risk… " Especially now he had power and time to nurse this alliance with fellow sky, this time things could go right with them. "In the name of Vongola famiglia, I… Sawada Tsunayoshi the tenth boss of Vongola and the second rightful owner of Vongola ring vowed to be the most loyal ally to you, and together… we will change the world."

Lelouch didn't know how long it takes him to gain some semblance of control of his body, as he was frozen in place that someone so readily and determinedly offering his alliance. His life after his mother's death was all about war and betrayal save that one summer with Suzaku and his sister, and even that was torn by war and his father.

He didn't know if he could trust Tsunayoshi Sawada.

He didn't know what kind of future he will see as the holder of Mare ring.

He had no idea but…

"I accept this contract and your alliance to me." He had accepted before his mind could tell him otherwise.

And he also had no idea since when a beautiful ring with teardrop shaped gem and with unfolded wing encased it found its way to his finger.

* * *

**One Month Later **

Nunnally was shocked when Lelouch informed her that they had to move away from Area 11, which mean out of Ashford's care. Ashford was the only ally Vi Britannia line had so leaving them never crossed Nunnally's mind. She also didn't want to leave the school and their friends, she loved this place and it have become as much as a home to her as Aries Villa was.

Lelouch had apologized that it had been so sudden, but he explained that the reason was to get her medical treatment that could help her regain mobility and sight, much to her shock. He also promised that when the time was right they would come back to Ashford Academy or at least visit once in a while.

The student council was devastated by the news but when they know the reason, they thought it was for the best. The Ashford was kind enough to let them have Sayoko, apparently the maid also requested to transfer her service to them. Lelouch was very grateful that Nunnally won't be too lonely with Sayoko around. Milly threw another festival for their honor though. Lelouch was thankful but he would be happier if it's just a small farewell party instead of a festival. Milly had the gall to make a confession booth, in which he had to sit still for two hours as a very long line of girls take turns to confess to him. Apparently Milly thought he had to make it up for ignoring all those love letters. It took him off guard when he found Shirley on the line with puffy eyes as she tearfully confessed to him.

He tried his best to reject her as gentle as he could. Shirley was a good girl and had he been a normal boy with normal life he would try to fall in love with her, but with the way he was he couldn't accept her feelings. He was grateful Milly was there to comfort Shirley afterward.

After watching him and Shirley, the girls after Shirley slowly retreated as it was clear Lelouch had no intention to get a girlfriend now so it would be a moot point to confess.

After the whole fiasco was over and they had tearful good bye, they left Ashford Academy by a car Vongola arranged.

It took Lelouch by surprise to find a _private_ jet parked in secluded location twenty kilometers away from Tokyo settlement. "A private jet?"

Tsuna who was in another simple looking yet expensive white suit raised an eyebrow, "What's so surprising about a private jet?" He had been a prince, what's so surprising about a private jet or two?

"It doesn't look like a standard private jet." Lelouch reasoned.

Tsuna's personal jet was actually not that big by standard of Britannia, in fact Lelouch could say it was the smallest one he had ever seen. However just from one look you could tell it was nothing like Britannia standard jet, it had sleek design that resembled an arrow with three pairs of wings instead of two. Whatever technology it used, Lelouch couldn't wait to learn more.

"So? A jet?"

"It's for stealth purpose… " Tsuna said dryly, "And by the way… until when you want to keep your sister waiting in car with your ninja maid?" He raised an eyebrow, "You couldn't be thinking our rendezvous point is dangerous… do I need to list all precaution I did to secure this location?"

Lelouch snorted, "Considering the whole country can evade Britannia I trust you about that… "

"Are you implying that I and my country as a whole as an expert in evading Britannia?" On the short time of knowing each other, they had come to a comfortable routine of debating about the most trivial things on the top of their head. Why? Neither had any idea.

"Not implying, but you are." Lelouch answered with a grin, as he raised his hand as a signal for Sayoko to bring Nunnally out of the car. "By all means… give a good first impression to my sister."

Tsuna rolled his eyes as they watched Nunnaly and Sayoko came to their direction, "Fine…" He raised an eyebrow when Nunnally, the blind little sister of Lelouch titling her head to the side then slowly turned to his direction. It seemed her blindness made her very sensitive, which mean she was a very attentive person.

Tsuna smiled as he kneeled so he was on her eye level. "Hello there… my name is Tsunayoshi Sawada, nice to meet you. You can call me Tsuna for short."

"The pleasure is mine... Tsuna-san" Nunnally greeted, "My name is Nunnally Lamperouge." She said as she reached out for Tsuna's hand, and smiled as she felt his warm hands.

* * *

Once they were inside the jet, Tsuna showed them a lounge for them to relax and went to speak with the pilot of the jet, leaving the ex-royal siblings and maid to familiar themselves with their surrounding.

Nunnaly hummed as she accepted a can of tea Lelouch took from nearby fridge. "Brother, do you know that Tsuna-san's hands are like Suzaku's…"

Lelouch raised his eyebrow at that, "Really, well… I guess Tsuna go through some training like Suzaku, did you?"

Nunnally shook her head, "No brother… I mean Tsuna-san's hands are very warm and kind like Suzaku's."

Lelouch didn't get how Nunnally perceive everything around her with closed eyelids, but it feels like she could see better than anyone with normal eyesight could. "If you say so Nunnally." But Tsuna was nothing like Suzaku in Lelouch's opinion.

The moment they arrived in Italy was not as surprising as Lelouch thought it would be as they landed in a completely normal looking airport but the surprise was out when they went through the city of Italy by limousine. The capital of Neo-Italy was nothing like Britannia settlement, road with paving stones, colorful brick walls, waterways and gondoliers, vendors loitering the street as they're on the way to market to start the day.

"Uwaa…" Nunnally couldn't see a thing but she had never been so overwhelmed with bustling noise of the busy street and other unfamiliar sensation she felt from her surrounding. "It's so much livelier than Tokyo settlement!"

Lelouch agreed wholeheartedly, "It's very lively."

Tsuna smiled at them, "I'm glad you like our city… and I almost forget…"

"Forget what?" Lelouch queried.

The boss grinned, "Welcome… to the capital city of Neo Italia, welcome… to** Neo Venezia**."

Lelouch raised an eyebrow at Tsuna's theatrics, and he found that he liked this place already.

* * *

**The next day**

Lelouch was not amused when Tsuna requested him to wake up so early in the morning just to introduce him to a toddler dressed in military garb. The said toddler also gave him some sort of exasperated look before speaking fluently in Italian like an adult. "This boy is like a stick, korra! But I wil stiill whip him to shape korra!"

Tsuna just smiled at Lelouch who gave him 'Are you joking?' look, "Introducing Arcobaleno Colonello... he will become your trainer form now on."

"Why?"

"I am under an impression you have prior knowledge in using gun." Since Lelouch almost threatened him with one. "So I recommend Colonello for the job."

"No... I mean why I get a toddler as a teacher?" Lelouch corrected Tsuna. "Is he even qualified?"

BANG!

Lelouch's eyes widened when two strands of hair left his scalp, "I hope that answer it." Tsuna offered when he saw the bullet missed Lelouch head by 1 cm. "Colonello used to be part of COMSUBIN..."

Colonello huffed, "Let's just start korra! Now, move brat!"

What else Lelouch could do when the toddler pointed an assault riffle at him?

"And one last advice Lelouch." The brunette said as Lelouch slowly backing away from Colonello in fear, "Don't die."He said with the most sincere smile he could muster.

The next thing Lelouch knew he was following that advice to heart as he struggled to survive under the rain of bullets from Colonello.

review! Please!


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Second Home**

Today fortunately Lelouch was given a day off from Colonello's training, which for Lelouch was a struggle for survival and he was positive even Suzaku, the excercise freak would cringe under Colonello's training. Tsuna seemed to take pity on him at last, the sadist let him suffered one month before asking Colonello for one day off. Tsuna invited them for tea, as if that could make up for his one month suffering.

Nevertheless Lelouch was impressed by the sight of Vongola manor, not by the sheer size because Pendragon Palace could beat it any day. The manor was luxurious of course but there was warmth in this place, something Pendragon palace didn't possess. Tsuna suddenly stopped on his track when they saw a girl sitting on a swing that hung under a lush tree, the said swing somehow didn't looked out of place in the garden of mafia manor.

The girl was dressed in white turtleneck shirt and short, on her shoulder hung a white cape. Her eyes were dark blue, her hair was black with green sheen. She looks like around Nunnally's age, but there was an air of wisdom and grace around her that betray her age. Lelouch was surprised when suddenly the girl suddenly run towards their direction and tackled Tsuna happily, reminding him of Nunnally when his sister before she was crippled.

"Tsuna-niisan!" She exclaimed happily.

Tsuna had a sister? But they're not alike at all...

The Vongola smiled softly as he returned the hug. "Hello Uni...do my princess come to visit me?"

"Uhm!" She nodded enthusiastically.

"How lucky I am for you to grace me with your presence..." Uni blushed prettily at that, "Where's Gamma?" He queried, and Uni looked sheepish at that. "Uni... we don't need him to make our people anxious with sending search party for you like last month." He chided gently.

Uni nodded shyly, "I am sorry... I just dropped everything and rush here when I heard you're back. Gamma should know where I am, he need not to worry about me in Vongola Manor."

"If you say so Uni..." Tsuna murmured softly, "But that's not the only reason for you to rush here ne?"

Uni smiled at that before titling her head to Lelouch's direction. "Hello there..."

"Um... hello." Lelouch returned awkwardly.

Nunnally beamed, "Hello!"

Uni brightened up when she saw a girl her age, and shyly took Tsuna's hand. The brunette smiled softly as he led her to the Lamperouge siblings. "Let me introduce you... our princess, Uni of Giglio Nero and leader of Arcobaleno."

Lelouch's eyes widened at that, this girl was the leader of Arcobaleno? "I am Lelouch Lamperouge... nice to meet you Lady Uni, and this is my sister..."

"I am Nunnally... " The brunette murmured softly.

Uni noticed her closed eyes them instinctively come closer and reached out of Nunnally's hand. "Nice to meet you too..." Then much to Lelouch's confusion the mafia princess turned to Tsuna with hopeful and pleading look on her face.

It took Tsuna a moment before he understood what Uni wanted, then he leaned in to whisper something to her ear. Uni brightened up before he said. "Nunnally... would you like to be my friend?"

Nunnally smiled in response and gave Uni's hands a small shake, "Yes, of course I would love to."

Lelouch couldn't help but smiled when Sayoko pushed Nunnaly's wheelchair so the females on the group walked ahead of them, Uni looked so excited as she engaged Nunnally and Sayoko in a conversation. Neither of the boys spoke until Tsuna decided to break the silence. "I'm glad Uni at last find a friend her age..." He murmured, "Her position and duty make it hard for her to make friends, her famiglia is so protective of her after her mother passed away so she didn't have much freedom either."

Lelouch frowned at that, "Isn't she too young? We're young but Uni couldn't be older than thirteen..."

Tsuna nodded, "She is one year younger than Nunnally... but as I said, no one has any say when it comes to Trinisette... Uni shoulder the same burden as we do, and it saddens me that she has to stay strong... you know? Uni didn't shed even a tear when we buried her mother. Her wet sleeve is the only give away that tells me she had cried."

It reminded Lelouch of himself, that when they held his mother's funeral he didn't cry not only because he already had his share of mourning, or for Nunnally, but also because as prince of Britannia he had duty as the face of empire. Of course that sense of duty was thrown out of the window when he found out the Emperor stop the investigation and did nothing to give his mother justice she deserved.

"I see... even here, those who in power have an image to uphold regardless of their feeling." Lelouch said dryly.

Tsuna smiled sadly at that, "I wish Uni didn't have to go through this... she shouldn't have..." He murmured regretfully.

"You sounds like you're the one at fault." Lelouch noted, unlike him who always keep his expression in check Tsuna never masked his emotion, at least not around those he considered his allies.

"I am." Tsuna murmured, much to Lelouch's shock. "The last civil war was unkind to us... it took both sky Arcobaleno and Mare from us..." He looked up the open sky as if speaking to his dead comrades. "They see me as a hero for stopping our civil war, but when I look at myself... my reflection." He looked down at nearby pond where he could see his reflection, amber eyes looking back at him. "I see someone who fail so stop his fellow sky from walking through the path of destruction, and in the process to save everyone I let the other to sacrifice herself for us..."

"...Survivor's guilt?"

Tsuna laughed softly at that, "Perhaps... but in the same time as much I hate I have to be grateful I survive or the balance Trinisette create would have collapse." Uni was too young to support it by himself, and he would hate to leave the burden on her alone.

Sometimes he wondered what Natsu would have done if at that fateful day...

* * *

**Six years ago **

_He shouldn't have left the safety of their home, but ignoring his survival instinct he ran and went in search of his mother and brother. Tsuna was afraid of dying of course, as much as his young mind could comprehend the horrible thing called death. But the thought of being all alone at home as Britannia rained bomb on their head won over his survival instinct. He ran to shopping district in hope to find his mother and Natsu but before he reached his destination, he found Natsu running to his direction with tears on his eyes. Their mother, Nana was nowhere to be found and dread began to wash over him._

_"Natsu!" Tsuna yelled, "Where's mom? Are you hurt?"_

_Natsu's eyes were wide in horror when Tsuna ran to his direction, "Tsuna! No!"_

_Everything happened so fast that Tsuna couldn't comprehend when Natsu had tackled him to the ground, and the sound of gunshot echoed in the air. Tsuna closed his eyes in fear, sound of gunshot and ragging war became louder and suddenly he felt something._

_It's warm..._

_Wet_

_And red..._

_"Natsu..." Tsuna dared his eyes to open only to find his twin brother on top of him, bleeding heavily. "Natsu!" Tsuna's dread grew tenfold as he carefully pried his brother off of him. Natsu was still breathing but it was obvious he was in so much pain. "I will bring you to doctor! Please hang on!" Tsuna cried as he reached out to carry his brother but Natsu was too heavy for him. "I... I will call hospital." He said in panic, looking around for public telephone. "Just wait, I will be back soon!" He promised_

_Natsu shook his head weakly, "Brother... just stay with me please... don't leave me alone..." He pleaded._

_"But!" Tsuna cried as he held Natsu's right hand tightly, cradling his brother's broken body on his arms._

_"Brother... are you crying?" His brown eyes fluttered as Tsuna's tears fell on his face, "You're always a crybaby..." He murmured weakly, he was so much in pain but looking at his brother's tearful eyes he couldn't bring himself to cry. They had always been together since they were born, they're brother and closest friend to each other. "Please... do not... cry..."_

_Tsuna sobbed, "But Natsu... I..."_

_"Am I... going to die?" Natsu wondered out loud._

_"No... NO! NO!" Tsuna shook his head violently, "You're going to be fine! You will!"_

_Natsu coughed softly at that, "Tsuna-nii... promise me..."_

_"Yes! Anything!" Tsuna offered desperately._

_"War... they killed mom." Tsuna gritted his teeth, he had hoped their mother survived but it seemed she didn't. "They... even try to kill us... brother? What we..." He coughed, "Have done to deserve this?"_

_Tsuna shook his head, "Natsu... it's..." Whose fault? Britannia? Japan? He couldn't find himself to care when he could feel his brother's life was slowly slipping away._

_"Promise me... to live on. I promised mom but it seems I can't... " Natsu smiled softly, "Live on for my share too kay?"_

_Tsuna nodded weakly, "I will! I will!"_

_Natsu exhaled, his eyes became glassy. "Ne... nii-san it's so quiet now."_

_What Natsu was talking about? It's raining bomb and the noise was almost deafening, how it could be quiet to him? "Natsu?"_

_His brother jerked, his hand reached out for something before he grabbed Tsuna's shirt. "Tsuna... I can't see you, it's... so dark here..." He murmured weakly. "Nii-san... I am..."_

_Tsuna hugged his brother closer, "I am here! I am here! I am here! Please Natsu, I will do anything! Don't leave me! Brother..." But it was no use, Natsu's eyes fluttered shut and the grip on his shirt loosened. "Natsu... ha ha... Natsu, please don't play a prank on me... we promise to celebrate mom's birthday next month remember? You never break your promise ne? Natsu? Ne... Natsu, wake up!" Tsuna yelled desperately. "Natsu! Natsu!"_

_He didn't know how long he was holding his brother''s body but he barely remember of himself trashing, yelling, and clawing his father when Iemitsu tried to pry his brother's cold body off of him. Tsuna cried himself hoarse as he begged his father's subordinates to return his brother. His brother wasn't dead! He was just sleeping! Natsu was a heavy sleeper! Father was rarely at home, so he didn't know that! Natsu won't leave him alone! NO! NO!_

_**Give me my brother back!**_

* * *

**Back to the present  
**

Tsuna was not disillusioned to think that he was loved by everyone in his famiglia, in fact a small proportion of them wanted his head on the stick. They didn't want him, a carbon copy of benevolent Vongola Primo. They wanted the cunning Federico, the brash Massimo, the smart Enrico, and even the wrathful Xanxus was preferable compared to him. Tsuna himself was content to dedicate himself in his study, the other heir could slaughter each other until only one left standing to be the Vongola Decimo. At first he was disgusted that the whole world was at war and they busied themselves with their game of succession.

He was disgusted by them, they're so prideful and selfish! Tsuna had openly shown that he loathed Vongola's game of succession, again and again he voiced his ire of their foolishness and ignorance. Of course, he was mostly ignored, after all... no one cared for ten years old Tsuna who was fifth in line.

Unfortunately in the end he was the one who succeed the throne after the four sons of Nonno butchered each other, and became the Vongola Decimo. As for those who against his leadership, he had no intention to make them to like him, he didn't become Vongola Decimo to liked or to make everyone else to bow to him. He had no fear they'd rebel fortunately, as after the background story of Xanxus was blown to public he was the sole legitimate heir so he was irreplaceable.

Speaking of being irreplaceable his new fellow sky, Lelouch Lamperouge, formerly known as Lelouch vi Britannia was not as lucky.

"So... famiglia..." He began awkwardly, "Millfiore famiglia is in a mess?" Lelouch queried.

Tsuna was not spared either as when he took the office Vongola was also a mess after the civil war, "Pretty much... I will try to sort them out before you take the office, we can't have them in disarray for much longer."

"No."

Tsuna raised an eyebrow at Lelouch, "No what?"

"I want to sort them out myself, it's my responsibility as the owner of Mare ring right? You have your own famiglia to worry about... introduce me to whoever left of this famiglia." Lelouch demanded with determined tone. "You're not going to do my job, Tsuna."

Tsuna narrowed his eyes, "You have a point, but I have to warn you... they have not swear their loyalty to you."

"Which the more reason for me to do this myself." Lelouch added.

He sighed at that, "Very well... "

By the next day Lelouch was buried under mountain of paperworks that he swore was breeding on his desk. The only consolation he did his office work ten times better than his training with Colonello. Which as far as he was concerned was more of battle of survival rather than a training. He would always ended up singed, battered, dirty, sweaty, with sore muscle. And Tsuna... the bastard always spare few minutes visiting him at the end of the daily training just to make sure he was alive and breathing.

Tsuna crouched down beside the slightly singed and dressed in tatters Lelouch and asked. "Are you alive?"

Lelouch titled his head to the side, as energy he had left only enough to move his head and mouth. "Yes, no thanks to you."

He shrugged, "It's not me who decide your mentor, Arcobaleno decided it among themselves based on what we know about you." Tsuna explained as he kindly passed a wet towel to Lelouch, the weather was quite unforgivably hot today. "You will get used to it."

"How to get use to running for your life under rain of bullets, minefield and sharp pointy things?" Lelouch wondered out loud.

"It's either that or died of stress or insanity." He supplied helpfully.

"..."

"..."

Lelouch glared at Tsuna, "You're not helping, you know that?"

"I tried." Tsuna shrugged nonchalantly, "And stand up will you? Our princesses are waiting." Tsuna said, titling his head to the side so Lelouch could see his sister, Sayoko and Uni.

Lelouch groaned as he struggled to stand, limping to follow Tsuna as they walked to the female group. "Big brother!" Nunnally reached out happily.

"I am sorry Nunnally, but no hug until I get my bath and change of clothes." Lelouch said apologetically.

She frowned at that before brightened up, "It's fine brother... I am glad you take your training seriously!" It was a bit hard to explain to Nunnally that her brother was going to be a mafia boss, and even more frantic explanation that mafia was not synonymous with criminal now. Nunnally was always a kind hearted girl with simple wish, she wanted a happy life with her brother and if living here as mafia made them both happy she couldn't refuse. The mafia was also kind enough to help her to regain eyesight and mobility, and in few months they'd finish her artificial legs before moving on to her eyesight.

Tsuna was apologetic that it will take some times before his medics and mist flame user could analyze the cause of Nunnally's blindness, and Lelouch couldn't be angry when he saw how many preparation they made just to get Nunnally her new legs. They're trying their best and he was almost sheepish that he even couldn't be introduced to public before his training finished. If you could call running for his life a training... and he had learned about gun and knife more than he ever had in his short 16 years of existence.

"Do you have fun with Nunnally... Uni?" Tsuna murmured as he gave the younger sky a gentle hug.

Uni beamed, "Yes Tsuna-nii... we're having so much fun!"

Tsuna smiled at that, "I am glad you're having fun Uni..."

Uni always acted older than her age around her famiglia and fellow arcobaleno, but Tsuna wished she could be a normal girl once in a while. Just like her mother... her life would be short and Tsuna wished to remedy that and if he couldn't... she wanted her to be happy.

Lelouch smiled at his sister's new best friend, a gentle and kind girl just like Nunnally. It was hard to believe this frail looking girl was the boss of Giglio Nero famiglia and the holder of sky pacifier. Tsuna had not tell too much detail about Trinisette due to how little time he could spare for Lelouch in midst of his life as Vongola boss, but one of few things he had come to know what different kind of boon Uni had to pay for her power.

And yet she could still smile, she stayed strong for everyone and lead them with pride. Lelouch was sure Uni wished for gentler world like Nunnally, and in spite of their suffering they could bear their burden.

As he followed them back inside to Vongola manor, Lelouch couldn't help but think he could call this place his second home after Ashford's country house.

* * *

Amber eyes flickered shit as he recited, "Rain, Storm, Cloud, Sun, Mist, and Lightning, We influences all of them. We understands and accepts all of them... We're the harmony of the seven flames..."

Lelouch couldn't help but frowned at that, his fingers however didn't stop dancing across the piano. "Harmony? Not something I associate myself with to be honest..." He had fell into a routine of practicing his play more often than he did in Ashford, he was grateful that Tsuna's storm guardian was kind enough to provide one for him.

Tsuna hummed at that, a small flame he had on his palms flickered as if dancing to the tune of the music. "The idea of your rebellion is all about chaos, but then again our flame signified our role not our personality... although my guardians' personality fit their flame." He chuckled softly. "But you see Lelouch, your wish to grant Nunnally a gentler world itself is a wish for harmony..."

He laughed softly at that, "Nunnally's flame must be sky too..."

"It tend to run in the family." Tsuna agreed, "But Lelouch, who do you have in mind to take as your funeral wreath?"

Lelouch glared at Tsuna, "I am not calling them that." He said as he paused in his play, "It's bad enough my famiglia is named after flower."

"Uh huh." Tsuna was not sympathetic to that as it's Byakuran and his flower language obsession.

"Something with knight would be more appropriate." Lelouch reasoned, he might be a banished prince but he was a prince by birth.

Tsuna sweat-dropped at that, "Eh... we're no longer criminal but knight is a bit..."

Lelouch huffed, "It's decided."

Tsuna shrugged, "Suit yourself... so anyone you know you think can be part of your 'whatever it would be named later' knight?" He wondered, "Of course you can go with my route, Reborn choose for me but well..." His circumstances with his guardians could be what you called slowly fall in love with your partner in arranged marriage kind of route, then again they had few years watching each other's back to build trust.

"I don't know a lot of people here." Lelouch pointed out.

"It doesn't have to be people from here..." Tsuna pointed out, "Anyone on top of your head."

Lelouch quieted down before an image of brunette boy with cheerful smile flashed on his mind. "Suzaku..."

"Hm?"

"Kururugi Suzaku." Lelouch drawled solemnly, "The son of Japan's last prime minister and an old friend of mine..." Suzaku was always acted like a knight to him and Nunnally, he couldn't imagine anyone else to be one of his knights. When he learned what guardians were to Tsuna, Suzaku's name was the first that pop up on his mind.

Tsuna's eyes widened at that, "Oh." That made sense, Lelouch was staying with Kururugi clan as political hostage seven years ago. He didn't expect Lelouch became a close friend with the son of Japan's last prime minister, as at that time they're already in hostile relationship with Japan so he couldn't imagine Kururugi Genbu would let his son around Britannian royalty. "Hm... " He hummed, but if Kururugi Suzaku was the person Lelouch thought of right away for his knight why not? "Do you want us to track him down and bring him here?" He queried.

Lelouch tensed before quickly shaking his head. "Wait...uhm, I'm not sure where Suzaku is right now. After what happened to Japan, I don't think I can ask him to leave his homeland because I want him here."

"I see..." Tsuna sighed at that, "Very well, let's end the lesson for today." Tsuna said as he checked his watch. "It's almost Nunnally's bed time, ne?"

Lelouch nodded as he gathered his paper and book, "Yes... see you tomorrow Tsuna." He said then rushed to leave Tsuna's study room to tuck his sister in.

Tsuna narrowed his eyes at the closed door, leaning back to the backrest of his chair. "Reborn, you're listening?"

Reborn dressed as a book and hidden so well in rows of book (how that's even possible? But Tsuna didn't dare to ask.) jumped off of the bookshelves to Tsuna's desk. "Si... so that prince-boy already have someone in mind."

His student nodded, "The son of Kururugi Genbu... the prime minister who defy Britannia until his last breath, Japan's greatest patriot." He murmured solemnly. "Do you have anything on him?" Tsuna queried as he was under impression Reborn had investigated Japan's politic status before her subjugation didn't expect to see a change of emotion in Reborn's face, he would miss it if not for his hyper intuition. The slight quirk on Reborn's lips and small frown on his eyebrow, it was grim. "Reborn?"

Reborn huffed, "You don't have any say in his choice for guardians, but if you can sway his decision... do discourage him from taking Kururugi Suzaku." He stated sternly.

Tsuna was shocked that Reborn implied he strongly against Lelouch' choice, "But... why?"

"That Kururugi boy is a trouble." Reborn said simply as if that justify his opinion.

Tsuna didn't buy it, "Reborn... you and Iemitsu put Mukuro _and_ Kyouya to be my guardians." He pointed out. "I can't imagine Kururugi Suzaku could worth more trouble than my mist and cloud."

Reborn growled and Tsuna tensed, "Tsuna... what have I teach about disagreeing with me?"

"Don't. Never ever." Tsuna recited tensely.

"Good." Reborn smirked.

"I still want explanation." Tsuna said stubbornly.

Reborn crossed his arms, contemplating his options. "I guess you'd better know if you have to dissuade that boy one day..." Reborn drawled loftily. "The reason is... turned out that Kururugi Genbu is not a patriot Japan made the world believe him to be."

Tsuna frowned, "Oh?"

Reborn's beady eyes darkened, "You won't like it."

"This is the dark secret on the backstage of Japan's fall from power..." Reborn began. "The truth behind Kururugi Genbu's death."

Tsuna inhaled sharply as he heard Reborn revealed one of Japan's greatest and darkest secret, and one small part of his traitorous mind wished he'd better of not knowing. "Even if it's true..." Tsuna trailed off, "How do you expect me to change Lelouch's mind?!" He hissed, "Kururugi is his friend, this secret is not mine to tell..."

Reborn as usual was not sympathetic to his predicament, he laid out a problem on Tsuna and his student had to solve it or else. "Here..." Reborn turned Leon to a small laptop and then showed him a profile of a Japanese boy, he had brown hair the same shade as Tsuna but his eyes were green. "This is Kururugi Suzaku." Reborn kept tabs on everyone, including former member of Japanese noble like Kururugi Suzaku.

Tsuna swallowed as he scrolled down Suzaku's file and flinched when he saw the citizen status. "Honorary Britannian? He has just entered army no less?" He stuttered incredulously. "Is he mad?"

"What do you expect?" Reborn wondered out loud.

Tsuna groaned. "Whatever! Give me a mild amnesia with your 1 ton hammer! We never discuss Kururugi Suzaku and the prospect that Lelouch is going to collect nutcase for his knights!"

"With pleasure!" Reborn said as he gleefully swung his 1 ton hammer to Tsuna's head, and effectively erasing the conversation.

One day Tsuna would regret his decision to ask Reborn to make him forget that conversation.

* * *

**Just so you know we will have a time skip to canon timeline of CG...  
**

**As you can see from this chapter instead of Uni, it's Aria who sacrifice herself to stop Byakuran~ Uni is some sort of surrogate little sister to Tsuna and now you know how Natsu died in this universe ;_;  
**

**ps: If we're lucky we can have PAOST out before this month ended. At least I have 8000 words written already for it. **


	4. Chapter 4

**2017 ATB, Area 11 (Japan) **

Lelouch glared at the two white haired siblings who seemed like they're thoroughly enjoy watching him buried under paperwork, he had people to do these for him but since he had just taken the office he had to familiarize himself with the inner working of the company before he could dump these accursed paperworks to someone else. Preferably these two, they deserved it. This supposed to be their _job_ in the first place!

"This is why dear sister, I don't want to inherit the company from dad." The white haired male said to his sister, his icy blue eyes glinting mischievously.

The female nodded, "That our father would turn on his grave if he know we sold our company to Lelouch is a bonus."

"To be fair it's his fault... he gave us so much freedom as his dealer with nice paycheck and he expect us to sit behind his desk?" The male said incredulously. "Hell no~ I love my job!"

"Yeah! Nothing could be doing what you love and get paid for it!" She laughed out loud.

Lelouch grunted, "If you're done gloating Kasper, Coco... here." He pushed two checks. "Your paycheck." He grumbled. "Don't use this as an excuse to see how I am faring after I take over the company, next time I will just transfer the money to your account."

"Aww! But we miss you boss!" She whistled when she saw the number, "And you're more generous than my father!"

Lelouch rolled his eyes, "I pity Floyd Hekmaktyar... if he could see his children now..."

Kasper grinned at him, "Come on boss, he is more of a employer to me than a father figure." Kasper said as he pocketed his pay. "We're raised by his staff and when we're thirteen he gave us a truckload of guns and ammunition, and then ship us to Asia and Europe on his behalf to make some cash out of our goods." Kasper said in cheerful tone as if his whole life was some sort of epic comedy rather than a messed up childhood. "Good times! Although that didn't win our dad an award for daddy of the year!"

_At least he didn't try to kill you with invading a country,_ although he had to admit Floyd Hekmatyar was _almost_ as bad as Charles zi Britannia.

"Remind me why did I hire you again?" Lelouch wondered out loud.

"Because we're great negotiators?" Kasper tried.

"I am cute and loco?" Coco added.

Lelouch rolled his eyes, "That's it." He stood up abruptly, "I am going out... Coco call Edgar for me please, I want my bike ready to go."

"Hai~" Coco fished her phone out of her pocket.

"Where are you going, boss?" Kasper asked curiously.

"Lunch." Lelouch replied. "And you're not coming Kasper, if you go with me you're going to pester me for Burger again!" He said as pointing an accusing finger at the older male as if daring Kasper to disagree. But before the older Hekmaktyar could response Lelouch had closed the door, eager for an uninterrupted and quiet lunch.

* * *

Tsuna sighed as he reread the document in front of him. "I can't believe I let him to do this."

Reborn snorted, "Project R need it, and you know how he operates now, Lelouch get the job done with satisfying result... just be grateful he is not as extreme as he would if he began this project last year with that mind set."

"Ha ha.." Tsuna laughed nervously, recalling how Lelouch acted a year ago. "At any rate... I will make my preparation too."

Reborn watched his student typing an email to Irie Shouichi and Hayato, no doubt an instruction to take over his duty temporarily. "Your job is not easier than Lelouch, to get the EU on our side after we abandoned them..."

"We didn't abandon them as technically we're never a part of EU. Even if we did, to be fair it's mostly Nonno's sons to be blamed, " Tsuna scowled as he clicked send button. "The world was in chaos and they turned on each other for this." Tsuna spat as he looked at the ring on his finger in disdain. "If they want this burden so much I would have..."

"Tsuna!" Reborn hissed, "Mind your words."

Tsuna tensed before he quickly apologized, "I am sorry... my emotion getting the better of me."

Reborn sighed at that, "It's ironic that out of the three of you it's Uni who is the best in controlling her emotion."

Lelouch was pretty good at it but it's as long as his button was save, as long as it's not family related he could put as many masks as he wanted. "I know."

"SO your mission?" Reborn queried.

Tsuna shrugged, "Difficult? Yes? Impossible? No." He waved his hand in dismissive gesture. "I am not going to convince EU that we're on their side, no, I am going to convince them to _believe _we're on their side."

The tutor snickered, "Last year I won't believe it that you will deceive anyone for our goal, Lelouch is rubbing off on you."

"I don't feel guilty." Tsuna said almost petulantly, "EU is just _slightly_ better than Britannian... the three superpowers are corrupt. Britannia is a country of bigotry that believe in Darwinism, EU believed they're the most humane because they gave independence to their member but they're sending Japanese and other non-aria people to the frontline as canon fodder. They'd think they're morally superior but deep down they're as racist as Britannian towards non-European. Chinese Federation is a dying because of power hungry government and their poor empress is just a symbol and a figure head." Tsuna summarized in solemn tone. "It's depressing."

"True." Reborn concurred.

"And now... I will call all charisma and charm I have to make nice with EU's leaders, wish me luck." Tsuna said in dry tone. "And make sure Uni prepared herself well... Gamma is already unhappy with Lelouch and me for assigning Uni to get to Tianzi's good grace... although now it's just a plan and it would be some time before we can get Uni inside the CF."

"I don't like it either but Gamma is an idiot, since when you and Lelouch can _make_ Uni do anything against her wish?" Reborn wondered out loud.

"That's what Lelouch and I tried to tell him." Tsuna said in tired tone,"Every single time Uni did something he deemed dangerous and unacceptable. Neither I nor Lelouch could make Uni do anything, he should know." Unofficially Uni was their leader, after all she was the one least affected by second pacific war so her decision would be impartial compared to theirs.

Now... he hoped Lelouch get everything run smoothly in Japan.

* * *

**Back in Japan (Area 11)**

**RING RING! **

Lelouch blinked when he saw Rivalz's number flashed on his phone, "Hello?" He had changed from his business suit to his civilian clothes, a black sleeveless shirt, pants and red jacket. He also wore a pair of black gloves to cover his mare ring.

_"Yo Lelouch! Old man Owen is in a pinch now so he need a back up. If you can come to Sunshine tower ASAP it would be great!"_ Rivalz said cheerfully.

Lelouch sighed, "I am heading for lunch... I guess I will help Owen, then we can go for lunch together... using my brain for chess can help my appetite I guess..."

_"And money."_

"Why do you think I need any?" Lelouch asked.

The ex-prince could hear his blue haired friend's sigh in response to his query. _"I almost forgot... Now that you are the CEO of HCLI you have money to burn." _Rivalz said jokingly_, "See you later Lelouch~"_

* * *

Actually he didn't have any to burn because he needed all money he could get for their project, money they got from gambling looked like pocket change in comparison was the only reason he stopped since he made more money as the CEO of HCLI. Nevertheless there was no harm indulging Rivalz, his friend enjoyed watching him play and the money was a bonus. His student council friends were happy that he returned to Area 11 few months ago. They're pretty dissapointed that Nunnally was not with him and he was going back to school. He completed his education though, Milly's grandfather arranged special exam for him as a favor. His training had been completed and he was acknowledged as Secondo of Millefiore famiglia.

He had all members of Millefiore famiglia supporting in a pretty short time. Tsuna was very impressed he could get their support just like that. Lelouch had to say it was mostly situation working in his favor, they had just lost their leader, and majority of people in Neo-Italy shunned them for what their former leader had done. Lelouch had Tsuna's and Uni's support, and his mentor was Colonello, and automatically Arcobaleno also vouched for him. He also knew his way around people, offering his hand in their desperate moment and thus he had their loyalty in his pocket faster than you can say Vongola. His sister's presence unexpectedly helped a lot to gain Millefiore famiglia's sympathy, apparently having a kind and gentle sister like Nunnally made them believed it was unlikely Lelouch would become second coming of Byakuran. The next thing he knew everyone in his new famiglia adored Nunnally and worship her as their princess, much like Giglio Nero was to Uni.

Life was looking up for them.

Although he still had a lot of problem he had to figure out, for one he still had to choose his knights. The council, which consist of old coot he and Tsuna thought should had retired permanently and completely (Vongola Nonno was a rare exception) was hounding him in every chance they had about it. He understood the importance, but these peoples he had to choose would be stuck with him for the rest of his life, he had to choose carefully. He had toyed with an idea to just call the strongest members of each flame he had in his famiglia and asked if they're loyal and willing to follow him for the rest of their life, then choose who answered the quickest. Tsuna was not impressed and reminded him that's not how it works.

He had wanted Irie Shouichi back to be his sun, he liked Shouichi for his personality and admirable skill in strategy and technology. It was too bad Irie only willing to be the head of joined technology division of Vongola and Millefiore, he didn't want to be Millefiore holder at all. Kikyou the sole survivor of Byakuran's funeral wreath had declined to return, apparently he chose to retire young after the disastrous civil war took everything from him. Tsuna offered Mukuro's disciple Fran to be his mist, Lelouch was not sure he wanted to take the apathetic boy but he was willing to consider the boy. At least Nunnally liked Fran, she said he was a funny person, worse come to worse Lelouch can keep the boy around to entertain Nunnally as her bodyguard.

Still... the council's insistence about choosing his knights had gotten so bad that Tsuna and even Uni had to interfere and told them to be patient before they made them. He had never know Coyote Nougat, Gokudera Hayato's grandfather could turn as red as his flame. He owed Tsuna a lot.

"Your key boss." Edgar, mechanic in charge of his vehicles said as he passed him a key for his bike.

"Thank you Edgar." Lelouch said as he started the engine.

Speaking of Tsuna the bike he was riding was also a birthday present from the Vongola boss, an airbike that come with retractable wheel so it could be used in Area 11 as normal looking bike. You won't be able to guess that literature loving Tsuna also had a hobby to collect vehicles. Apparently it was on his veins, Vongola's wealth come from their technology in creating vehicle and other creative inventions. They produced weapons too although they mostly used it for themselves. Lelouch was pleasantly surprised that Millefiore in the other hand triumph in weapon development, and also robots. Not knightmare frames but they're working on it.

When they started project R to change the world, Lelouch decided to start his part in Area 11, in Japan. He needed a cover, to spread his famiglia's influence which was the reason he approached HCLI as an investor. Unfortunately he was no Tsuna, he couldn't see through people like an open book. So when Kasper Hekmaktyar asked if he was willing to buy 30% of their stock Lelouch agreed, although he was a tad bit suspicious the Hekmaktyars were willing to part with that much asset. HCLI was a global company involved with shipping, logistics, and the arms trade, and they're a leading company in the world with almost spotless record. Its logistical capabilities HCLI is able to track anyone around the world via satellite, it was second only to Britannia and EU so Lelouch signed the contract out of need. Neo-Italia had not ended their isolation period, so to set up new satellite system (which had been destroyed in civil war) would take some time. Time they didn't have so they needed HCLI's.

It was only after he signed the contract that Kasper, the bastard congratulated him for his new position as the CEO of HCLI and that he just bought half of his and his sister's share. Which made him the one who hold most of company's assets. Apparently neither Kasper nor Koko were willing to be stuck behind a desk and part with their nomadic lifestyle as arm dealers. He came with the offer for alliance and he had a company dealing with TI and weapon development (Millefiore's dummy company) was a blessing from heaven to the Hekmatyars.

At first he almost didn't mind making HCLI as part of his famiglia, and Kasper and Koko were not civilian considering their job. Kasper and Koko almost laughed themselves to death when they were told that they had just sold their father's prized company to a mafia boss. Well... he was not the only one with daddy issue, said Tsuna when he informed the Vongola boss about it. Which he promptly returned with reminding Tsuna of his own daddy issue, after that they reached a silent agreement to not use anything related to their father as snide remark anymore. It was downright depressing.

* * *

**30 Minutes later... **

"Rivalz, can you get me a decent opponent for once?" Lelouch half-demanded half-complained.

Rivalz sighed, "Lelouch... you just beat your own record! Eight minutes and twenty seconds! Try to look happy at least a little! Geeze... "

He shrugged nonchalantly. "Should I? Those nobles could hardly make a decent opponent to me, they're just over privileged parasites..." This was the society Britannia's bigoted idealism created, nobles, sheep herded by the royal family.

"Then would you like to try playing with an Eleven?" Rivalz suggested. "Unlike us, they're…" He trailed off.

Lelouch was really tempted to correct Rivalz, they're Japanese_ not _Eleven. This was another product of Britannia's bigotry, even the enthusiastic love-sick puppy and in overall a nice person like Rivalz called people of different race like they're some sort of sub-human without remorse. Raised in this kind of society, Rivalz couldn't see, he was ignorant of their rotten mindset.

"Rivalz... you..." Lelouch was cut off by the booming voice from giant screen, image of Clovis La Britannia appeared as he was addressing his subjects. _'Clovis.' _

**"To all my imperial subject!"** Clovis began with grim expression on his face that Lelouch could tell was just an act even though he didn't have Tsuna's hyper intuition. **"And all cooperative Elevens who chose to serve our glorious empire! Can't you see my pain?"** Clovis clutched his chest to emphasize his point. **"My heart is torn in two..."** He trailed off in sad tone, **"One part is sad, while another part is enraged!"** Clovis exclaimed.

Lelouch gritted his teeth, before he regain control of his expression. Thankfully Rivalz's attention was on Clovis' speech so he didn't notice. _'How pathetic... Clovis you used to be one of few half-siblings I consider as decent person but look at you now, a preening peacock of Britannia's bigoted society. I won't be surprised if you're actually in the middle of party while doing this.' _

_"_**For this one battle is for justice!"** Clovis exclaimed in determined voice.

Lelouch narrowed his eyes, _'Justice never exist in Britannia's dictionary Clovis... perhaps it does, but your justice is one that serve Britannia alone.'_

**"A moment of silence."**

_"_You're not going to mourn?" Rivalz voice snapped him out of his thought and he tore his eyes from the image of his half-brother. It was getting too much to bear looking at the pathetic act Clovis made himself to be.

Lelouch shrugged, "No, there's no point as tears won't bring the dead back." A fact of life he had learned when he was ten. "All of this..." He glanced at Britannians who followed Clovis' example; hand in chest as offering their empty prayers for the death. "Self indulgence..." He murmured somberly. "Without a will to see pass their sheltered world." The world had to change.

"Lelouch?" His friend was a little too quiet all of a sudden.

The purple-eyed teen sent Rivalz an apologetic look, "Sorry Rivalz, I..."

**RING RING RING **

Lelouch's eyes narrowed when he read 'Koko H' flashed in his screen. "Excuse me Rivals." He picked up the call. "Koko, what's wrong?"

**"Our satellite picked up a suspicious event... Clovis is up to something, it seems a group of Japanese terrorist stole something from him." **Koko informed him, no doubt the info was from their spy in government body, and spying devices they planted in every corner of Viceroy's palace. **"The police guard thinks it's just medical equipment, but it didn't make sense for the Japanese to risk their life for such thing." **Koko concluded.

He frowned at that, and then glanced at Rivalz. "Sorry Rivalz, but suddenly my staff need me to be back in office. "Lelouch said as he started his engine. "See you!"

"Oi! Lelouch!" Rivalz called out but the ex-prince was already far away."I wonder what kind of emergency that bother him so?

Five minutes later Lelouch was on the highway, continuing his conversation with his right hand women. "True it's weird the Japanese risked their life for it..." He agreed, "So what is the situation now?" Lelouch asked as he speed up his bike.

**"The police force is in pursuit for the truck they're using." **Koko informed him promptly. **"The police haven't found them yet." **

"I see, can you track the terrorist down with our satellite?" Lelouch requested. "I want to see for myself what worked Clovis up so badly."

Koko beamed, "**Of course boss! Let's see… " **Koko blinked when he saw the truck was a good ten feet away from her superior, "**Eh boss…** **You're right in front of them, Boss." **

Lelouch's eyes widened in shock, "Say what?!" the moment he saw a shadow looming over him Lelouch quickly changed his course before the truck ran him over but it was too late.

**CKIIIIIIIT**

And the said truck crashed, Lelouch only had one word on his mind to summarize it. _Fuck _

He glared at pedestrian walkers who stopped and watched the crashed truck as if the truck and the occupants were some sort of amusing animal in zoo. He even heard one of them said someone should call ambulance or police, while holding her phone to take a picture of the truck instead of doing the deed herself.

"Idiots." He hissed, "All of them." Lelouch ran to the crashed truck, opting to keep his helmet on just in case the Japanese had weapons and with helmet on he could always faked being a Japanese with speaking in their language. He looked around the truck, wondering how to get the driver and the passenger out. He saw a ladder then climbed it up. "Woi… are you alright?"

**"I found you…"**

Lelouch looked around, wondering who was talking just now. **"Boss, aren't you getting too close?" **Koko's wary voice was heard from his earpiece.

Lelouch sighed, "It's fine, worse come to worse I…" He didn't get to finish his sentence as suddenly the truck moved and he was caught of guard, rolling to the roof opening of the container and fell inside. "Aww…" He groaned in pain.

**"Boss!" **Koko's frantic voice called him out, **"Are you alright? The truck is moving!" **

Lelouch face-palmed, just his luck to be stuck here in his misguided attempt to help. "I am inside Koko, I know they're moving."

**"Then get the hell out of there!" **Koko barked.

Lelouch sighed wearily, contemplating his next course of action. "I don't think so, I may as well use this chance to find out what the terrorists were up to." He said in nonchalant tone.

**"Boss." **Koko growled, **"Mafia boss or not I don't think…" **

Suddenly Kasper's amused voice interjected her. **"Koko, our boss has his reason… I believe he will survive this. Beside I don't think Boss dared to stay still there if he is unarmed." **

"I'm never unarmed." Lelouch informed them, "Call me again in few minutes." The moment he ended the line the police force chasing after the truck rained leads on them. "Just my luck." Lelouch grunted in annoyance.

**HCLI's HQ, Serpent of Lore **

Koko cursed loudly when she listened General Bartley ordered knightmare frames to dispatch and capture the terrorist and the stolen object. "This is really bad, whatever the terrorist stole is important enough that the Peacock Prince bothered to make this much fuss."

Kasper shrugged, "Whatever it is I doubt we want it to return to Clovis."

"I concurred." Koko replied. "Should we dispatch our men to help Lelouch?"

Kasper shook his head, "We don't want open a three way confrontation with the thief and Clovis, do we?"

"But Lelouch…" Koko reminded him.

"I know." Kasper frowned, "He should know what he is doing."

**Back on the truck **

Lelouch hid behind the capsule as a red haired woman entered an old Glasgow, his eyes narrowed at the old machine. As far as he knew JLF was the only rebellion group with knightmare frames, but judging from the lack of uniform it was unlikely this girl was part of them. As the girl launched her Glasgow Lelouch couldn't help but think it was getting more and more complicated even to his liking.

**"Boss!" **

Lelouch frowned when he heard frantic voice from his earpiece. "Koko?"

**"That truck is surrounded! It's heading straight to a second Sutherland waiting to intercept it!" **Koko exclaimed in panic.

Lelouch's eyes widened, "Damn it!" As soon as the word left his mouth the truck once again crashed, even worse than its first crash. "What's with me and car crash today?" He wondered out loud as the world on his eyes shaking like crazy.

**"Boss? Are you alright?" **

Lelouch groaned, he had been unconscious for a while it seemed. "Yeah… remind me to not hop in terrorist truck again." He quipped as he stood up on his full height. "Unexpectedly since I didn't hear sound of Sutherland's wheel, it seems the truck luckily escape the knightmare corps somehow." Then he frowned, "Where is the location of the last crash?" Lelouch asked as he activated night vision function his contact lens had, "Night vision, on."

_"**Yes boss."**_

It was the same contact lens Tsuna used to gauge his flame output and a very handy tool that could be controlled with voice command.

Koko paused but then the one answered his question was Kasper, **"You're in Shinjuku Ghetto." **

Lelouch frowned at that, "Shinjuku… it won't take long for Britannia army to locate this place, so what's their order? Give me the detail of their forces."

**"They're sending infantry corps, but Clovis secretly sent his royal guards along." **Kasper informed him.

"I see…" He glanced at the strange machine on the container, "The stolen machine is with me, maybe we should take it for ourselves. However…" Lelouch trailed off before he tensed. "Someone is coming, send our men incognito to the ghetto to assist me. I will call you back as soon as I can." Lelouch ordered.

**"Yes boss." **

The moment his subordinates ended the line, he dodged as fast as he could from being tackled by a soldier with a facemask. However he was not fast enough as the soldier caught his wrist and attempted to pull him to be pinned. Lelouch made his displeasure known with twisting his body and landed a kick on the soldier's feet. Unfortunately the soldier had his wrist on iron grip so they ended up kissing the floor together. Lelouch hissed, Colonello taught him how to fight bare handed but he was no good in offense and prefer fighting with weapon. Bare handed fight was Tsuna's forte not his.

Lelouch glared when he tried and failing to get his wrist free, "Let go of me!" He ordered with a hiss, damn it! He couldn't get his box weapon with his right hand caught.

"Please stop!" The soldier said, tugging on his wrist but Lelouch didn't give in because he knew the moment he gave in the soldier would had him in lock hold. "Violence won't solve anything!"

"Huh?" What was he talking about?

"Don't kill anymore, so many people have died today!" The soldier continued, "Where's the poison gas?"

Poison gas? That was what the terrorist stole from Clovis? "I don't know any poison gas soldier of Britannia." Probably the giant capsule shaped thing next to them, and glanced at the thing as his free hand reached out for ceramic bamboo gun on his left pocket. "Maybe this is what you're looking for?" The soldier stupidly followed his eyes and in that split second Lelouch pushed the soldier off of him and pointed his gun at the soldier.

"You!" The soldier hissed.

Lelouch narrowed his eyes, "Checkmate… what an idiot like you doing in Britannian army?" He queried, "If you don't want anymore death, you shouldn't serve the source of this bloodshed! But obliterate it!"

The soldier looked stunned, and Lelouch wondered if he just knocked some sense in this fool. "Lelouch…"

The ex-prince blinked, "Huh?"

The soldier gingerly took off his facemask, revealing a familiar face but older. "It's me… Suzaku."

Memory of his first summer in Japan flashed on his eyes and he lowered his gun. "Suzaku?" The presumably old friend of his nodded with a smile on his face. Which was erased as soon as Lelouch raising his gun again. "First question, are you really Kururugi Suzaku?"

"Yes!" Suzaku answered indignantly, "It's me Lelouch! Now drop the gun before someone gets hurt!"

"Prove it." Lelouch said in return. "What did you do to me on the first day of my stay in Kururugi shrine?"

Suzaku hesitated before he answered, that was one of the most embarrassing moment in his life. Using his martial art skill to bully Lelouch. "On the first day of your stay in Kururugi shrine… I… beat you up because I think you're an arrogant prince." He answered embarrassedly. Much to Suzaku's ire the gun was not lowered. "Lelouch! Drop the gun already!" He hissed in annoyance.

Lelouch narrowed his eyes, "And what my old friend, Kururugi Suzaku, the son of Japanese last prime minister do in Britannian army? Joining the same army who slaughtered his people and rob them of their freedom?"

"Well I… " However before Suzaku could answer the capsule opened, revealing a girl with long green hair and amber eyes with lighter shade than Vongola decimo's gazing at Lelouch before Suzaku tackled him, this time successfully and covered his mouth with masker. "It's not poison gas?"

Lelouch sighed, and put his gun back on his pocket while Suzaku took his mask back. "Okay… I believe you're my friend Suzaku, no one as idiot as you to put someone else's safety first without thinking and hesitation."

Suzaku frowned at that, "Lelouch! First, you hold me at gunpoint and now you call me an idiot for trying to save your life?" He asked indignantly.

"Gomenasai… hontou ni." Suzaku was caught off guard that Lelouch suddenly apologized to him, and in Japanese no less. It's been so long since someone speaks to him with his mother tongue, and he missed it.

**Meanwhile somewhere else… **

"Sorry Ohgi." Kallen apologized to her leader. "We lost the poison gas, unless Nagata somehow managed to get away…"

Ohgi sighed, **"It can't be helped, where's Nakata?" **

"I don't know… he must be somewhere underground." The last time she saw the truck it crashed to Shinjuku Ghetto, she hoped Nakata survived. He had a wife and a child, a family waiting for him.

**Back to the crashed truck… **

"But they said in the briefing it's a poison gas." Suzaku said when asked which part of the girl was poisonous, unzipping the cloth that binding her legs.

Lelouch frowned as he observed the girl, she looked familiar somehow or rather… he had seen her somewhere. His eyes widened when he accidentally brushed her bangs a little, revealing a red symbol n her forehead. "I see…"

This explained a lot, he had to contact Tsuna and Uni as soon as possible. There's no way he'd return this girl to Clovis, fortunately she would be easier to move than the giant capsule. Now… what should he do to get this girl out of here, and there's Suzaku… He had his men looking for Suzaku since he returned to Japan, but no one would expect to find the son of deceased prime minister of Japan to be a Britannian soldier.

His musing was cut off when suddenly the dark tunnel bathed in light and cursed under his breath. Clovis' royal guards! Suzaku had contacted them beforehand when he saw the truck it seemed. There're nine of them and lightly armed, _'This is bad' _

"Damn monkey." The man dressed in red army uniform, presumably the captain cursed. "Not even genuine Britannian is allowed to touch it!"

Lelouch quickly thought up around seven plans, which involve killing the royal guards and another three were escape plans. However before Lelouch could decide which would be the best action, Suzaku had run towards superior, probably trying to justify his action. "But I was told it was poison gas." Suzaku said.

He couldn't believe his friend was this stupid, that was a cover-up story obviously and bringing it up that Suzaku was briefed otherwise was not going to help them. "You have no right to question us!"

Which roughly translated as, _We don't want Eleven to ask question, your duty is shut up and do as we say. _

"But!" Suzaku insisted.

Lelouch gritted his teeth, he had to bail Suzaku out of this one way or another. He thought as he took off his right glove, revealing sky mare ring that had small chain surrounding it

**The power of Mare ring is dangerous, if you're not careful you'll lose hold of yourself and drowned in collective consciousness of your parallel self.  
That's why, use it wisely Lelouch…**

He unfastened the chain carefully and almost gagged as flash of images invading his mind, but he steeled himself before he quickly fasten the chain again and took a deep breath.

"But I recognize your valor so I will give you another chance." The commander said as he pulled his own gun. "Use this gun to kill the terrorist, private Kururugi."

Suzaku paled at that, "But he is not terrorist! He is a civilian!" Suzaku denied. "He is just a civilian caught up in this!" Suzaku tried to explain.

Terrorist? Him? Lelouch fought his urge to snort as he stood up slowly.

"Damn you…" The commander cursed. "It's an order! You swore allegiance to Britannia! Kururugi!"

Suzaku was firm in his decision, "I will not." He stated with conviction. "I will not kill a civilian, I will not shoot him."

Lelouch cleared his throat, "My apologies." He began, vaguely aware the commander almost raised his gun at Suzaku if not for his interuption. "But he is right, I am not a terrorist but a civilian… the terrorist took me hostage. It thanks to private Kururugi that I'm saved."

Suzaku turned to face him, a stunned look on his face. It was fortunate Suzaku was not facing the royal guards. They would know he was bluffing just from Suzaku's expression.

"You think I can believe that?" The red clothed guard snarled.

Lelouch calmly fished out his id from his breast pocket, the glossy black logo of HCLI glinting under the light "I am Lamperouge… CEO of H&C Logictic Incorporated." The man looked stunned and Lelouch knew he had them. "I don't think it will look good in your report if CEO of global logistic company such as I to die on your watch. I have contacted our HQ to inform my subordinates of my situation and how your good soldier saved me… " Lelouch said as he strolled to their direction, his right hand grasped the cube shaped device that hung on the chain around his pocket, while the left grasped Suzaku's left shouder.

Hesitation flashed on their eyes and Lelouch added. "I believe Prince Clovis still have business with my company, and after this even I will consider that contract he wanted so much." That was not a lie as Clovis had approached HCLI for business before but promptly refused by Kasper for his lack of budget, which spent on parties and galleries.

The man grunted as he took the name card, "It looks genuine." _It was, idiot. _"However… we have our order and sorry director." He said as he raised his gun to Lelouch's face. "There would be no business with Prince Clovis for you."

"I don't want it either." And before the man could comprehend what happened the HCLI id card had jammed his gun and with a quick slash his right had been cut off clean. He screamed in pain before Lelouch pinned him down with a gun pointed at his forehead.

Suzaku's eyes widened, since when Lelouch was holding a dual pistol with bayonet on it? He didn't seem like he had anything to hide those. "Lelouch you…"

"Only those who prepared to be killed who have right to kill." Lelouch said as the man below him trembled in fear, "If you don't want your captain to die, drop your weapon now!"

The man Lelouch pinned saw his subordinates' hesitation and screamed in fear as the blade of bayoned pressed against his neck. "Drop your gun! Drop it! This is an order!"

They hesitated before they slowly backed away and drop their weapon, but one of them didn't and pointed his gun at Suzaku. "Let our commander go or your Eleven friend will die!"

A gunshot rang and Suzaku's eyes went wide as the man who tried to hold him hostage fell on the ground with a bullet wound on his temple, and small splash of blood soaked his cheek. "Lelouch…"

Lelouch snorted, "Would anyone like to test which of us is faster in shooting?" Looking at the guard who reached out for their dropped weapon Lelouch took it that they decided to test it. If it was hand-to-hand combat these men could beat him, but when it comes to gun and knife they're no match for someone who was trained by an Arcobaleno who specialized in armed combat.

The ex-prince ducked low, using gravity to enchance his speed then before they could pick up their gun the soldiers were greeted by the blade of Lelouch Bayonet, killing them instantly as neck soaked by crimson liquid.

"Lelouch stop!" Suzaku yelled as he ran and placed himself between Lelouch and the last two soldiers. How could Lelouch slaughter them without mercy, this is wrong!

Lelouch stopped, freezing on his place as his blade almost hit Suzaku. His eyes widened when from the corner of his eyes a gun was aimed at him. He twisted his body to dodge, but even though the bullet missed vital organ it got his left arm and he hissed in pain. The bullet only grazed his left arm but his pain tolerance was never great, and that was enough to halt his movement.

Suzaku's eyes widened when his friend fell to the ground in shock. "Lelouch!"

"Die!" The soldier he shielded exclaimed as he aimed his gun at Lelouch.

The mafia boss glared at the soldier and raised his gun but someone was faster this time, a spinning kick hit the soldier on the neck and he fell to the ground. However Lelouch saw the last soldier attempted to finish the deed of his fallen comrade and before the he could raise his gun at Suzaku, Lelouch had shot him first. Suzaku opened his mouth, but now word come out when Lelouch quickly shot the soldier he knocked out, killing the man instantly.

Lelouch grunted in pain. "Che…"

"Lelouch I am…" Suzaku began.

Lelouch glared at Suzaku, and the Japanese boy froze in his place. "Tell me Suzaku, just now you're thinking that we can solve this peacefully? That they will let me go? You're a soldier Suzaku… shouldn't you know, it's either them or us? No compromise?"

"But I am..." Suzaku began again.

"No buts Idiot!" Lelouch snapped, "If I didn't interrupt when you refuse to shoot me that man would have you killed for disobeying his order!" He winced in pain and almost stupidly tried to hold his wounded arm, he almost forgot his weapons were strapped on his arm. "Ugh…"

Suzaku's eyes softened, "Let me take a look at that, I have some first aid supplies with me."

Lelouch grunted as Suzaku approached him, he reluctantly unstrapped his left bayonet gun but unwilling to let go the right one. Suzaku didn't say anything as he began to clean up Lelouch's wound and moved on to bandaging it. Lelouch sighed wearily, "I forgive you."

Suzaku tensed at that before he resumed his task, "I don't deserve it… you're defending me and I almost got you killed for my foolishness."

Lelouch snorted at that, "Suit yourself…" He murmured as he took his phone off of his ear then began to type an email for Tsuna, informing the Vongola boss about the code.

* * *

**To: Tsuna  
Subject: Code **

**I find one of them stolen from Clovis by a group of Japanese resistance group, she has green hair, golden eyes, and geass symbol on her forehead. Please confirm her identity for me.  
And also… I find myself hoping I have a mist flame user with me, their flame will be really useful in my situation now. So yeah… I will take Mukuro's student, Nunnally likes him so it's a bonus. If anything it will shut the council up for a while. **

**If Mukuro is still in Tokyo since his last mission please send him to Shinjuku Ghetto, his help would be appreciated. **

**Lelouch, secondo of Millefiore.**

* * *

It was too quiet save Lelouch's typing sound so Suzaku decided to break the silence, "Since when you're so good with gun and knife?"

"I got a mentor taught me how." Lelouch answered vaguely as he click send button. "My turn to ask, care to enlighten me what are you doing in army?" He queried. "At first I think you're a mole, but looking at how horrible you're at acting that's not the case…"

He hesitated for a moment and then he gave in, "I… I want to change Britannia from within." Suzaku answered hesitantly, at the raised eyebrow from Lelouch he continued. "Terrorism is wrong, all they did is just make our people suffer even more…"

Lelouch smiled at that. "I agree."

"You do?" Suzaku blinked at that, "Uhm… at any rate that's why I decided to work with the system." Lelouch quirked an eyebrow, he didn't understand what Suzaku'was getting at. "You know that The Knight of One get's governance over one area, right?"

Lelouch snapped his head to Suzaku, his amethyst eyes stared at Suzaku long and hard to the point Suzaku was getting uncomfortable. "Are you telling me that you aim to be The Knight of One and then ask the Emperor to let you have Japan?!" He asked incredulously, his fingers curling to angry fist.

"Yes." Suzaku answered in a heartbeat.

The ex-prince snarled and for a moment Suzaku felt fear, and it was foreign feeling to fear your best friend. "Suzaku… while your determination to serve your people is admirable, I think you really need to sit down and re_think_ your plan over." It seemed in the last seven years Suzaku lost his common sense somehow, his plan was downright ridiculous and unless Lelouch could knock some sense to his hard head Suzaku would get himself killed sooner or later.

"I know it's hard… but I have to try." Suzaku said stubbornly as he finished the last wrap on Lelouch's arm.

"It's not hard, it's impossible." He corrected with a huff, calming himself down so he could try to make Suzaku see reason and that he was not being biased because he hated Charles zi Britannia. Suzaku opened his mouth to protest but Lelouch didn't help him. "It's impossible, and I know it better than you! Do you know who my mother was?"

Suzaku frowned, why Lelouch's mother have anything to do with impossibility of him to become the knight of one? "Empress Marianne… uhm she was the fifth consort…" He tried.

Lelouch rolled his eyes, not impressed by his mediocre knowledge. "My mother… she was the knight of two Suzaku."

His eyes widened at that, "She was?"

He nodded, "She was one of the greatest knightmare pilots in history of Britannia." Lelouch murmured with a soft smile on his lips, "Let me ask you, do you know that I have over ninety half siblings but I don't have any uncle, aunt or cousins?"

Suzaku hesitated at that, and Lelouch continued. "My mother created river of blood on the emperor's behalf to make sure he got the throne… she was the strongest woman in Britannia empire, the knight of two… and even the current Knight of one could barely hold onto his title against my mother. She was the emperor's favorite… " He murmured sadly, laughing softly. "But as you know… she was killed and her assassination is covered as an terrorist attack, the emperor didn't lift a finger to avenge her.. and I… the son of woman who had done so much for him was banished to foreign land for demanding justice for his mother and sister…"

Suzaku froze when Lelouch's amethyst eyes turned to him. "So… Tell me Suzaku… can you surpass Marrianne vi Britannia?"

The Japanese swallowed, his mind blank as he listened on. Of course Lelouch always beat him with logic, he would have denied it if Lelouch try to convince him that the emperor was a horrible man who won't accept him as one of his round. Lelouch just pointed out that his mother, who had been so great as a knight and empress, but in the end… she was killed and betrayed. And so Suzaku who was an honorary Britanian and son of deceased prime minister was unlikely to achieve his goal, unless somehow he could outmatch Lelouch's mother, the woman who made Charles zi Britannia the 98th emperor of Britannia.

And she was not even the Knight of One but Two.

"And if by chance you manage to catch the emperor's attention and made it to Knight of Round… presumably of the lower number before you have right to challenge Bismark the current Knight of one…" Lelouch trailed off, "Do you know what their main duty aside from protecting the emperor?" Lelouch pressed on, his eyes narrowed at his friend who by each passing second began to hyperventilate. "Their duty is to lead Britannian army to take over another free country and subjugated them as an area… labeling the people as number."

"They…"

At Suzaku's raging breath, Lelouch could tell he didn't know, which wasunderstandable as in army you didn't learn what the emperor's knight of round did around the world. They're the emperor's knights, and all the soldiers had to do in their presence was to obey. "Yes, if you made it to their rank your duty would be giving the other country the same fate as Japan seven years ago… are you prepared to ask for Japan in exchange for another country's freedom? That's how it works in Britannian system, and I don't see how you can justify it as the right thing to do."

"I…" Suzaku trailed off, swallowing the bile that began to rise on his throat.

Lelouch's attention turned as he heard a groan of pain, he saw the girl was still unconscious so it was not her. Then he saw a man crawled out of the driver seat, and fell to the ground as bleeding heavily. Without a word he approached the dying man, followed closely by Suzaku who was still shaken by Lelouch's words.

Nakata felt his sight blurring, he was dying and his family would be left to fend for themselves under Britannian tyranny. He heard someone's voice, deep and regal speaking in Japanese. _"You're bleeding too heavily."_ And then he felt a cold and long nimble fingers covering his face. _"Allow me to end your pain." _

Nakata smiled at that, _"Thanks… my stomach is killing me."_

_"May I ask you something?" _The voice asked. _"Why did you steal the poison gas? Do you want to use it against Britannia?"_

Nakata almost ashamed to admit that he almost think of doing that if not for Kallen reminding him the consequences. _"At first… but my main reason to steal it is because I don't want Britannia to use it on my people…" _

_"I see…" _Nakata could almost see a smile just from the voice. _"What's your name? I need it to arrange a fitting funeral for an honorable man such as you, and it's an honor to remember your name…" _

He smiled at that, _"I am Nakata… Nakata Issei." _

_"Well then… sayonara Nakata-san." _And then he felt a little pain on his neck and he knew no more.

Suzaku watched as Lelouch killed another, this time was a Japanese but in the same time Lelouch helped the man from his suffering. "This man is not terrorist Suzaku… they steal it in fear Britannia will start purging the Japanese with it..."

"I see…" He felt guilty for thinking the group who stole the capsule was terrorizing Britannian out of spite, they just wanted to protect their people as much as he did.

* * *

**For those who dislike Suzaku... sorry but I really like Suzaku, before he go completely bonker because Euphy died. I can hardly blame the guy to be honest... he is desperate for place to belong which he find in Lelouch and Euphy, Lelouch for giving him logical reason his father's death is not totally wasted and Japan need heroic story and Euphy for promising to love him in spite of his shortcoming. Seeing your best friend killed your ray of hope will make anyone go crazy, especially one as unstable as Suzaku added to the fact Lelouch went to martyr route with not explaining his motive and let Suzaku hate him... So yeah poor guy got screwed over. **

**Hopefully you like this... as for Koko and Kasper, they're there as Lelouch's extension... they're not the most important character and not candidate for mare. I read Dauntless and really like Edith, but I don't want to make an OC like her so I look for loco Hekmaktyar sibling to take the stage. **


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Consternation**

Tsuna wondered if it was possible to bottle up Lelouch's affinity for trouble and sent it to outer space, as not even the third month since his return to Japan Lelouch had stumbled upon a freaking Code. He had to wonder what he should do, and how to break the news gently to the Arcobaleno. They'd gone absolutely ballistic, as the last Code they're acquaintance with left a pretty lasting impression. Then again Kirihara or Checker Face was not like most code, he was the oldest in existence and the last Code Origin in the other word the first code holder, someone who was born with the code. His status as endangered species didn't stop the Arcobaleno from wanting to wipe him off of this world however…

He decided to think about it later and contacted his wayward mist, "Hello, Mukuro where are you?"

**"That's the first thing you ask Boss?" **Mukuro snorted, **"I am still in Area 11." **

Tsuna sighed in relieve, thank God his mist was still in Japan. "Where are you exactly?"

There was a short pause before Mukuro answered, **"Shinjuku Ghetto." **

Wow, was Lelouch ever this lucky or what? "What are you doing there?" Coincidence or not Mukuro had never been somewhere without a purpose.

**"There is a chaos here~" **Mukuro sounded gleeful, **"Britannia just dispatched a large number of soldiers! I can't resist seeing what they're doing."**

Of course, his mist was drawn to blood and chaos like moth to flame. "Oh, I see… do you have your target with you?" He asked.

**"Of course, in fact I am using his body to take a walk around the Ghetto." **

Tsuna face-palmed, "Mu-ku-rooooo… what did I say about using your target's body as your host?! They're not your toy!" He chided his mist in exasperated tone.

**"Like I care? Beside… a serial murderer like Leopold is doomed to death sentence once we return to Neo-Italy so what's the harm of using him as spying device?" **Mukuro had been sent to capture a serial murderer who had stolen one of their prototype weapons and escaped to Japan. They would have sent the Vindice but Leopold was hiding in heavily populated settlement. Vindice had no tact and alerting people of their existence was the last thing Costra Nostra wanted.

Tsuna sighed, "Whatever… might as well taking advantage of your situation." He grumbled, rolling his eyes. "Lelouch is calling for back-up, he found a code stolen by Japanese resistance group from Clovis la Britannia."

**"And of course, we don't want to give The Code back to Clovis ne~" **Mukuro smirked, **"SO that's why there's so much fuss here… no wonder." **

As always Mukuro was sharp minded, "Yes… your mission is to locate Lelouch and assist him in any way you can." Tsuna cleared his throat. "In the name of Vongola Decimo I transferred your allegiance to Millefiore Secondo in the duration of this mission." Tsuna said solemnly.

There was a scoff before his mist answered, **"As you wish… my sky."**

* * *

**_Back with Lelouch and co _**

_"Well then… sayonara Nakata-san." _

Suzaku watched as Lelouch killed another, this time was a Japanese but in the same time Lelouch helped the man from his suffering. "This man is not terrorist Suzaku… they steal it in fear Britannia will start purging the Japanese with it..."

"I see…" He felt guilty for thinking the group who stole the capsule was terrorizing Britannian out of spite, they just wanted to protect their people as much as he did.

Lelouch swallowed, maybe he said too much to Suzaku. "I am…" He was about to apologize when his phone rang. "Hello, Koko…"

**"Boss, we can't see you there. Please tell me you're alright!" **Koko was panicking.

"Just a scratch." He rolled his eyes, "And where are they?"

Koko replied peevishly, **"Uhm… they should be there about now…" **

"BOSS!" Someone exclaimed, and Lelouch recognized the voice as Lutz's, one of Koko's men.

Suzaku tensed, but before he did anything Lelouch put a shoulder to calm him down. Suzaku had more than enough share of shock for today. "They're my employees…" There're four of them, dressed in infantry corps like Suzaku.

"Dressed in the same uniform as mine?" He said in incredulous tone.

Lelouch rolled his eyes, "Are you expecting them to dress in black suit like a bodyguard in the middle of Ghetto under siege of Britannian army?" He asked in incredulous tone.

"Well no." Suzaku answered sheepishly. "At any rate now you're safe Lelouch… I am glad." He said in relieved voice. "They gave me a map of the ghetto so I can show you the fastest escape route."

Lelouch blinked owlishly, after that severe reality check he gave Suzaku, his old friend was still thinking of his well being the most. Suzaku was still the same boy who protected him and his sister seven years ago as they walked through war zone. Lelouch steeled himself and decided his course of action.

"Boss." A feminine voice called. "I am glad you're alright." Then she glanced at Suzaku, "And who is this boy?"

Lelouch smirked, "Kururugi Suzaku, an old friend of mine."

"You found him?" Someone with accented English exclaimed, "And he is a soldier?"

Suzaku's eyes widened, this accented English belonged to a Japanese and his voice was a bit familiar. "Who?"

The man took off his helmet, revealing a Japanese man with short black hair and tanned skin like Suzaku's. "Tojo Akihito… it's been a while Suzaku-bochama but now you're not so little anymore. I was General Hinoki's subordinate and used to belong in SR Unit."

Suzaku's eyes widened, "It's you Tojo-sensei!" The man was the one who taught him mathematics and science when he was a child. He was one of many private tutors from army his father hired to teach him, just like Tohdoh.

He nodded sheepishly, "Under our boss' order I have been looking for you but I… didn't think to look for you in the army."

Suzaku flinched at that, "Well I…"

"Valmet… Lutz, put the girl inside a body bag, and put her on an army uniform plus the mask in case someone checked. " Lelouch ordered as he gestured to the immobile green haired girl.

His eyes widened in shock, "Lelouch! She is not a corpse!"

"I am smuggling her out of here Suzaku, don't worry she won't suffocate inside as we will give her an oxygen mask." Not that she needed it, and Lelouch planned to ask Valmet to kill the girl when Suzaku wasn't looking. It would be easier to pass the temporarily dead Code as a corpse. "Please don't tell me you're thinking of bringing her back to Clovis, you'll be killed if you do because it's suppose to be a secret and a Japanese is the last person they wanted to find out."

Suzaku hesitated, but he couldn't refute Lelouch's logic. "Well… I guess you're right…" Then he glanced at the piled corpse of royal guards. "Uh… then how should I explain this?"

Lelouch smiled at that, "Oh you don't have to explain anything… first give me your phone number." Suzaku suddenly had a bad feeling about Lelouch's smile, that was his scheming smile and usually it meant trouble. However Suzaku instead of voicing his concern gave Lelouch his phone number. "Thanks, I will contact you later and..."

**"BOSS!" **Panicked voice of Koko almost deafened his ears, he almost forgot he was on the phone with her. **"This is a disaster, that Peacock prince has lost it!" **

Lelouch massaged his temple, it seemed this was not a private line as Valmet, Tojo, Wiley and Lutz flinched in the same time he did so they heard Koko's screaming too. "What did Clovis do this time?" Hearing the name of Viceroy from Lelouch made Suzaku curious, Clovis was Lelouch's half-brother and judging from the way he spoke his name it seemed Lelouch didn't hate Clovis just… exasperated. Suzaku was almost worried that Lelouch hate all of his family members except Nunnally, but it seemed his fear was unfounded.

**"He ordered his army to destroy Shinjuku Ghetto under pretense of rezoning the area!" **

Lelouch's felt his heart drop when he heard it, his eyes went wide in shock and anger. He didn't want to believe that flamboyant brother of his, Clovis had just ordered a massacre. "Koko… what's going on and why did he order such thing?" Calm down Lelouch, try to make this disaster make sense or…

**"I guess it would better if you hear it yourself." **It was Kasper this time, and Lelouch knew Kasper was going to replay a recording the got from spying device they planted in Clovis' G1.

**"At this rate I will be forced to abdicate… it can't be helped!  
In the name of Clovis La Britannia, I order destruction of Shinjuku Ghetto!  
All Elevens in this ghetto shall be sentenced to death!" **

Abdicated? That was his reason to justify this madness?!

Lelouch gritted his teeth, "Clovis, you! Bastard!"

Tojo trembled in anger, "How dare he! Boss! We have to do something!" It was rare to see Tojo so flustered and panic, then again anyone would when they heard their people would get slaughtered because a prince's whim.

Suzaku looked back and forth between panicking Tojo and furious Lelouch. "What's going on? Lelouch… what did your brother…"

"He is no brother of mine!" Lelouch snapped furiously. "Koko! Dispatch the rest of our force! Do not engage the army, just evacuate as many Japanese as we can! Hurry!"

As Lelouch seemed like he had no intention to answer Suzaku turned to Tojo. "What happened?" He hissed. "Why are you evacuating Japanese from this Ghetto, is something…"

Tojo gritted his teeth, "The Viceroy has just." He began to explain.

"Tojo!" Lelouch snapped. "You're speaking to a Britannian soldier!" He reminded his subordinate. Tojo clamped his mouth shut in instant, obeying the order to the letter.

Suzaku glared at Lelouch in ire. "What's your problem now, Lelouch?!"

Lelouch took a deep breath, "My first problem is that you're an idiot, and secondly… you're an idealistic idiot." He informed his best friend helpfully, as if that explained everything.

"What?!" Suzaku exclaimed in incredulous tone before he felt something pricked his neck, his eyes were forced to close and he knew no more.

**THUD**

As Suzaku fell to the ground, Valmet took off her mask, revealing a black haired woman with light yellow eyes. "Boss, are you sure it's wise to do this to him? It's a pretty strong anesthetic." She asked hoisting Suzaku to her shoulder as if he was a sack of potato. Valmet had shapedly figure, and Lelouch had never seen any woman with muscle as solid as Valmet's so it was no wonder she could carry Suzaku easily.

"He would be fine…" Lelouch stated.

Tojo nodded in agreement, "Knowing Suzaku-bochama, he will throw a fit later at you Boss…" Tojo was not as close as Tohdoh to Suzaku, but he knew the boy well enough to know Suzaku had a temper.

Lelouch snorted, "I will explain later… but in short, at some point in these seven years Suzaku adopted a pretty _twisted_ sense of chivalry from what I see. Imagine what he will do if he tagging along with us and seeing what his fellow soldiers did. He will throw himself to them faster than you can say Banzai." He explained before he took his ceramic gun. "Put him down for a sec Valmet…" Then carefully he shot Suzaku on his leg, careful to not harm any major blood vessel.

"Boss! What are you…" Tojo did not fear for Suzaku's life because he knew Lelouch was trying to protect Suzaku. But he didn't understand why Lelouch deliberately harmed Suzaku, it was not a grave wound but Suzaku would be limping for a while.

Lelouch had begun a first aid to stop the bleeding; his expression was grim as he really didn't want to do this to Suzaku. "I am planning to hand him over to the first army medic we find, but it would look to suspicious that he is unconscious but unharmed." Lelouch explained coolly. "And knowing Suzaku, he would come back to ghetto just to yell at me so I have to make sure he can't…"

Tojo sweat-dropped at that, Tohdoh was not kidding when he said Lelouch vi Britannia knew their prime minister's son better than they did. "I can see Suzaku-bochama do that." He admitted. "Sorry boss… we owe you a lot for Suzaku-bochama."

He shook his head, "Don't mention it… between Suzaku and I it's a mutual thing. Now let's get moving! Valmet I leave Suzaku to you, Lutz… go with Valmet and pass the code as corpse and move her to our base… you have my permission to shoot the girl to make it more real." Lutz flinched. "She will survive! Give her a painless temporary death if you're uncomfortable!" He turned to his lone Japanese subordinate. "Tojo… you're with me."

**"Yes boss!" **

* * *

"My… my…" Mukuro smirked at the battlefield below, looking from the eyes of his owl. "It feels like civil war back home all over again." Few years ago he would be repulsed by the idea of calling Neo-Italy his home, but now as Vongola mist guardian he belonged there.

To be honest even to him who loved blood and chaos, civil war they had one and half year ago was a mistake. His dear Chrome came too close to death to his liking, and he hated to lose his possession to war mafia created. Hell no!

Looking at Secondo of Millefiore, Mukuro wondered why in the name of seven flames Mare chose that boy. It was not like the boy was incapable leader, in fact he was capable and a born leader. He was unlike Tsunayoshi who 'learned' to be one with sweat, blood and stumbling all over rocky ground. Which was why in Mukuro's book, Lelouch Lamperouge was dangerous. But in the other hand his benevolent sky had took precaution to handle the man, they secured the man's loyalty with giving Nunnally Lamperouge back what Britannia took away from her. Whether Lelouch Lamperouge's loyalty to them was real or not, the man owed them too much to betray them.

But still… he couldn't help but wary of Lelouch Lamperouge, and when he brought it up to Tsunayoshi. His benevolent sky didn't critisize him or question his suspicion, not at all. Tsunayoshi gave him an all knowing smile befitting Vongola boss with power to see through all, then instead of asking Tsunayoshi answered a question he never asked.

**"Lelouch reminded you too much of yourself."**

Driven by revenge, hating this world and wishing to change it…  
Mukuro hated it when his sky was right, and it irked him to no end so he'd never trust Lelouch Lamperouge ever. Tsuna had to transfer his allegiance to Lelouch temporarily, and in spite of everything Mukuro was bound to do as his command. Only because Tsunayoshi made him, and that emperor's spawn'd better appreciate it.

* * *

**Twenty minutes later, East entrance of Shinjuku Ghetto **

Certain Earl was unhappy because after steamrolling his way through with his beloved Lancelot, the last part of his awesome knightmare was not present. He dangled Lancelot's key sadly. "Ooooh we're so close to complete Lancelot!"

Cecile sighed, "What can we do… let's just wait for Private Kururugi to return."

"Just our bad luck to come late." Lloyd grunted, glancing to his left where a pair of medic was carrying another wounded soldier with a stretcher. He stopped on his track when he saw a mop of curly brown hair and tanned skin of a Japanese. "Aah! Our devicer!" He exclaimed, pointing at the stretcher with shaking hand.

The medics looked at the earl warily as he walked or rather hopping to their direction gleefully. "Uhm, do you need something sir?" One of the medics asked hesitantly.

The earl of pudding nodded, "Yeah, I need this boy for my Lancelot!" And he was promptly hit with a clipboard, courtesy of Cecil Cromy.

"Please don't let us halt you!" Cecil gave the medic her best smile, "Please treat Private Kururugi immediately and if I may know… is he gravely injured?"

The medics continued their pace to the nearest medic tent as one of them answered Cecil. "He would be fine… he was shot on his leg but since it didn't hit any major blood vessel and someone had given him a first aid."

"How soon he would be fine?" Lloyd asked persistently. "Will he be up before this battle end? We need him for…"

"Lyold!" Cecil chided, sometime you'd wonder who was the boss.

The medic shrugged as they entered the medical tent, followed by the two engineers. "We don't know, but whatever you need him for… he won't be in the best condition. Even if he wake up, he would be limping for sure."

Lloyd wisely didn't voice that, it's fine if Kururugi was limping, as long as the boy was mobile enough to pilot Lancelot it would be fine. Cecil would hit him if he said it out loud.

* * *

**Back to battlefield~**

It was very easy to steal a Shutterland, Lelouch was almost sad it was this easy to do it. All he had to do was had Valmet pretending that she had found something and called for the nearest Shutterland pilot they found to help. The presence of his disguised subordinates helped, and as soon as the dark skinned woman jumped off of his Shutterland, Valmet knocked her out cold. They considered killing the pilot but looking at her unusual uniform, she was a high ranked officer and perhaps a noble. She was not a foot soldier no one would miss. They wanted to avoid attention as much as possible so they settled in knocking her out cold.

"Well then…" Lelouch had borrowed Tojo's laptop and began to hack the Shutterland's system. "I am in, so now…" He placed his phone on his ears again and contacted his subordinates. "Todo, Valmet, Lutz… I am sending you coordinate of location I want you to occupy as back up, Wiley… grab a squad of our men to assist you. I will need your expertise later." He ordered, "I will contact the resistance group with this old school radio and ask for their cooperation. It would be easy as they're in one-sided battle now…" He deduced.

**"Boss, are you sure you want to work with amateurs who placed frequency number of their group behind their radio?" **Lutz asked in incredulous tone.

Lelouch rolled his eyes, "Are we in a position to be picky now? HCLI's forces are busy evacuating all Japanese they could… but at the rate this is going we will be forced to engage the army unless we run a distraction." He said as he recheck the condition of Shutterland he borrowed, "Now move, every second we waste, the more people will die!"

**"Yes, boss!" **They saluted.

Lelouch smirked, now he had to recall Clovis' style in chess. Of course the battlefield was not like chess, it had no rules, and the piece didn't move with specific restriction. Colonello would have his head if he dare to compare the two. However… he had learned that some game like Chess revealed someone's personality, and Clovis… he was always about an all out attack. He was always clumsy when attacking, not thinking ahead before he made his move and prone to make mistake.

Now he had a resistance group to convince to his side, "Now then… Clovis, let me give you a taste of battlefield… this is not a game we used to play… this is war!" He declared.

* * *

**Medic's van**

"Lel!" Suzaku called out as he wake up from his sleep, looking around wildly only to see no old friend of his on sight but a silver haired scientist and a dark blue haired woman sitting beside his bed. This was bad, he almost called out the name of a supposed dead prince.

The Earl smirked, "Hello private Kururugi… you have been out for…" He looked at his watch. "Impressive, just one hour but you already wake up. By the way I am Earl Asplund, and this is my assistant Cecil Cromy. We're from ASEEC."

Suzaku blinked at that, winding when he felt a sharp pain from his left leg. "My leg…"

"You have been shoot." Cecil Cromy informed the Japanese boy. "You're so lucky that the bullet didn't hit any major blood vessel, and someone helped to stop the bleeding before they entrusted you to the nearest medic."

His eyes widened at that, but the last thing he remembered was Lelouch calling him an idealistic idiot and then… "What happened in Shinjuku Ghetto?"

Llolyd shrugged, "No clue but more or less our army is hunting the terrorist at full force, they said they have secured the poison gas somehow…" Then he added, "The eleven in Ghetto however… there are large casualties on their side."

Suzaku recalled Lelouch frantically ordered someone named Koko, his secretary perhaps… he ordered them to help evacuating the Japanese. LELOUCH! That asshole Lelouch! He must have thought it was too dangerous for an idealistic idiot like him to be there and go as far as sedating and shooting him on the leg to get him out!

Lloyd watched with fascination, how Suzaku's expression changed from confused, solemn, shocked and then annoyed. He didn't have much interest in human, but Kururugi was really interesting to observe. "Mind telling me what's running through your pretty little head?"

"Lloyd!" Cecile gave him another dose of her clipboard and Lloyd feared for his brain cell so he shut up. "I am sorry… he is a little crippled in socializing like normal human."

Suzaku to be honest could be careless of manner, his best friend was out there and doing his best to save lifes and he was stuck here! "Uhm… it's fine, but may I know why you're waiting for me to wake up?"

Lyold smirked at that, "Tell me Private Kururugi, would you like to have a chance of a lifetime?" He said as he dangled a fancy looking activation key in front of his face. "You have the highest simulation score in your class, and I think you're the dream pilot we're looking for!"

He hesitated, "But… a honorary Britannian like me couldn't be a knight." He pointed out nervously, even though inside he really wanted to accept the offer so he could return and help Lelouch.

Lyold snorted, "If I say you can… you're allowed, after all… the knightmare waiting for you is my masterpiece… and you have my permission to do so. Private Kururugi… I want you to pilot… my Lancelot."

* * *

**Battlefield**

Lelouch sighed as he listened on the resistance group members arguing whether they had to trust him or not, it was thanks to the leader who pointed out that it couldn't be a trap as the Britannia had all the advantage so they didn't need one. Lelouch was glad they didn't waste more time arguing, now all he had to do was commanding them to take out Britannian army in the quickest and most efficient way possible.

"Here is your first order, P1, P2, P3… shoot 60 degrees to the left."

They did as he say and shocked to see behind the plain wall they shoot was a squad of Shutterland.

"Next, P5! P7! Advance fifty feet the East and wait for my order to shoot!" Then he moved on to is next piece. "Q1, draw the attention of the squad stationed in sector B! And move sixty degrees… with your top speed! And no matter what happen don't look back!"

Kallen did as she was told, her one armed Glasgow made a good decoy as it seemed all Shutterlands of Britannia were gunning for her red knightmare. She turned and ran as fast as her knightmare could, followed by one squad hot on her heels. Sound of a series of explosions startled her but as the voice said not to look back, she didn't. It's only after the next order for her come and the explosion stopped she dared to look back. The row of old building above them had collapsed like domino and crashed the Britannian army under tons of concrete.

"Wow!" She looked up and saw someone, a dark skinned man was standing on the top of a building. He was smiling at her, showing a set of white teeth and gave her a thumb up. He was not a Japanese but she doubted he was a Britannian, maybe this voice was a leader of resistance group from another country? So Kallen raised his Glasgow's lone arm and returned the thump up.

Ohgi who was assigned as P1 trembled; this voice was a real deal! They could really win against Britannia. "Thank you… whoever you're." He whispered.

Lelouch smiled at that, "Don't mention it, to be honest you're running a distraction so my men can evacuate as many Japanese as we could from this Ghetto. I hope you're not offended." Lelouch thought it was safe to tell the leader alone what the motif of this operation. If anything he could get the man to trust him even more.

Ohgi's eyes widened, he had met a squad dressed in infantry corp, and some of them were Japanese and explained they are hoarding their people to safety. So they're not honorary Britannian betraying the army but this voice's men!

He stuttered, "Of course not! We're really grateful!" All doubt he had vanished in instant and he contacted all of his subordinates. _"Everyone! We're running a distraction while in the same time our mysterious helper gets his men evacuating our people! I have seen them with my own eyes so it's not a hoax! Whoever he is, this man is definitely our ally!" _

Kallen's eyes widened, she had seen the odd infantry squad evacuating their people. _"Eh… thanks! I guess we owe you… a lot." _She decided.

_"Thank me after we win the battle." _They almost jumped in shock when the voice replied in flawless Japanese. _"We're running a distraction, but no one said you can't win." _

It's official, they're sold! _"Hai!" _Even Tamaki joined in.

Meanwhile Lutz who was holding a sniper riffle in the nearest high building, aiming for infantry corps Britannia dispatched. He turned to face Tojo. "I think Boss got them in his pocket."

Tojo shrugged, "I don't think they will want to join our famiglia…" They're resistant fighter not ex-soldiers like them, so it was unlikely they'd join a mafia family.

"Nah… who knows, at the rate we're going do you think we can beat Vongola in number by next year?" Lutz wondered out loud as he took out another scum who was chasing a pair of elderly. He might be a mafia now, but his job was still sniping bastard and scum.

* * *

Lelouch was sweating so he took off his jacket, it was really tiring to command his force when they're outnumbered so badly. They're winning but the slightest mistake would cost them, and he was really unwilling to sacrifice any of these good men. Soon he had to spring a trap to end this battle. His men who're not piloting knightmare were doing good job to clean up soldiers Britannia dispatched with guerrilla tactic, and by now almost all Japanese in this Ghetto had been evacuated.

_"Good job all of you, now it's time to give a final strike to Britannia army!" _He said in determined tone.

"There're twelve possible moves Clovis would make in this condition but knowing his personality…" He trailed off.

* * *

**Mobile Fortress, G1 **

Clovis fumed as his general was running around like headless chicken as apologizing profusely for their incompetence. This was humiliating! And that Lyold Asplund dared to interrupt them, trying to get his toy to their battlefield no less! As if! That's the same as asking Schneizel for help! He had never been this humiliated since his childhood days, when Lelouch and Schneizel, the two chess prodigies defeated him countless times, and no matter how hard he tried he couldn't defeat them.

He was always felt inferior to his two half-brothers, among the imperial children Schneizel and Lelouch were singled out for their intelligence and charisma. Schneizel was a talented politician and had been appointed as the youngest prime minister of Britannia, he was also _unofficially_ first in line as who wanted mediocre Odyseus to be their king?  
Lelouch might be seventeen in line, but as he outstripped everyone but Schneizel in intelligence and charisma since he was young, he might as well be the unofficial second in line. Almost all their siblings save a few were overjoyed when Lelouch and Nunnally died.

Clovis in comparison was just talented artist and good actor. However… he still had his pride! He thought as he marched to the digital map table and observed their force and lone enemy signal. "Good! Gather all of our force to the center of Shinjuku Ghetto! Our enemy couldn't be anywhere else but there!" He ignored his general's sputtering protest, as proved again and again that Bartley was incompetent and he had to take the command himself.

* * *

Lelouch predicted this, but it's still sad that Clovis jumped straight to his trap like this. "You're not getting better in strategy at all…" Not that he was complaining, "Oh well… checkmate."

Deep underground Kallen aimed her slash harken to destroy the tunnel's ceiling and in instance it collapsed, bringing all the knightmares above it along to oblivion. Lelouch watched as IFF signals blinking and then disappeared started from the center like blooming fireworks. Looking at the radar it seemed like a game, the soldiers were just those tiny lights and he knew it was very unlikely any of them managed to eject before they fell to the hellhole.

This was war… just like seven years ago. "I hope you can see what you have bring upon your men Clovis."

Deep down Lelouch was well aware it was foolish to hope Clovis to feel remorse for their death, if he could order a massacre the chance he felt anything akin to guilt for his soldiers was almost nil. If Clovis saw this as another game, that his forces were just pawns… he'd just bring more and more soldiers just to protect his pride and reputation.

At this rate… Lelouch gritted his teeth. "Remember who you are…" He told himself, "You're not the prince of Britannia, you're no longer the son of that man… You're the sky of Mare, your duty is to your famiglia and the world Nunnally dreamed of."

* * *

**Mobile Fortress, G1 **

To say that Clovis la Britannia was outraged by his recent loss was an understatement of the century. It was one thing that he lost in chess against Schneizel and Lelouch years ago, and entirely different shameful lost when his forces' IFF signal disappeared from the screen like a burst of fireworks. Britannia had never lost, and not against pitiful Eleven. One against Tohdoh was an anomaly they never wished to repeat.

But whoever did this was probably more dangerous that Tohdoh.

It as if… someone see through him and he was dancing on their palm, that was unacceptable!

So with heavy heart when Llyold had a gall to contact them again for second time, asking for permission to launch his toy, Clovis swallowed his pride. "So your toy would be able to turn this battlefield around to our favor?"

Lyold gave him a half-mocking bow he hated so much, "Of course, your highness… but please call it… Lancelot."

Few minutes later Lloyd was jumping up and down like an excited five years old on sugar as Suzaku drove Lancelot out of his hangar and out to battlefield. Lyold wiped an imaginary tear from his eyes as he watched his beloved Lancelot went to its first battle. "I am so proud!"

Cecil just sighed while other mechanic in vicinity scooted away from their eccentric boss as if his insanity was contagious.

Far away above the cloud, one of HCLI's satellites glinted as it observed the battlefield of Shinjuku Ghetto, zooming in to the seventh generation knightmare called The Lancelot. No one in battlefield save Lelouch and his men knew they're being watched, and two Hekmatyar cursed under their breath profusely in seven different languages when they saw the white monstrosity was launched.

That couldn't be good.

* * *

**Battlefield**

And so while Clovis was pleased he had another go to preserve his honor, one Lelouch Lamperouge was outraged by what he heard. That Clovis had just sent a seventh generation Knightmare frame to the field, one that technically not his but Scneizel's no less. It was one thing when they're outnumbered by 5 to 1 with knightmare squad of the same model, and entirely different thing when they're facing an unknown seventh generation knightmare.

So Clovis gave up quantity tactic and go for quality...

Of course his spy had given them some insight about its capabilities, but he had never really worried for it's deployment because according to data he received the damned thing called Lancelot was… not pilot friendly. The last test pilot could barely move the knightmare, and the spec was so high that the pilot ran risk running to wall and other kind of accident.

"Koko… so far do you think the pilot can control the Lancelot well?" He asked skeptically.

**"Whoever it is have not stumbled yet like what its previous test pilots did, and just now it jumped over a building and land with perfect score." **Koko sounded pissed, **"Where did they get such a good pilot, I wonder?" **

Lelouch gritted his teeth, and used the old school radio to contact his temporary subordinates. "Attention everyone, Britannia just deployed their seventh generation knightmare Z-01 Lancelot. Do not engage this knightmare… most Japanese in this Ghetto has been evacuated so risking your life to face it is a moot point!"

**"They did what?" **Lelouch recognized the voice as the leader of this resistance group. **"Very well! Everyone! Let's get out of here!" **

**"Running away from the Britts?!" **It was the loudmouth who protested about following his order, and Lelouch was really tempted to ask why the leader kept this idiot around. **"No way!" **

Ougi snapped, **"You heard him! Our peoples are safe! And they didn't need us dead! Now move!"**

**"Che!"**

Lelouch was glad that whoever the leader was, he had enough authority to keep his subordinates in line. "Use the North entrance… it's the farthest from G1 but go through the underground tunnel and make sure to stay undetected! You may abandon your Sutherland if you must to escape!"

**"But… it's yours." **The leader muttered hesitantly.

"No Shutterland worth equal to your life!" Lelouch barked, and the Shutterland was Britannia's actually. Tojo had sent a fake request for it from Britannia's inventory. "Now go! I repeat! Do not engage Lancelot!" But of course there was a possibility they had to engage it, "And if you must, do not try to be in close proximity with it! Eject at the first opportunity!"

**"Lelouch!" **It was Kasper, **"Are you sure you don't want to collect it's combat data, we might have to face it again! Not to mention it will be useful for our own developed knightmare!" **

"Tempting! But I am not risking anyone just to get its combat data so that we…"

**"You want its combat data?" **

Lelouch froze when he realized the radio was still on, the voice was female's so the one who spoke was their ace in red Glasgow. "I want it." He answered honestly, "But to fight losing battle that could cost someone's life is not an equal exchange to me."

**"I will do it!" **Kallen said determinedly, **"This guy would be a plague to Japanese! If you can get its data and find its weakness, it would be worth it!" **

Lelouch opened his mouth to argue but he couldn't deny that Q1 had a point, "We do not know who the pilot is, but most probably a noble… if you manage to eject before it got you doesn't mean you're safe. So remember, anyone who decide to assist me to collect its battle data, you may lose your life." He warned them seriously.

**"Ha ha ha! We risk our life everyday for defying Britannia!" **Someone else said, a male. **"So what's the difference?"**

**"True! So true!" **Another chimed in.

The leader suddenly joined in, **"Those who wish to assist our benefactor, prepare yourself! I am with you, it's better trying to fight that thing now for better chance in the future!" **

Lelouch really wanted this man in this famiglia, a bit naïve but he had a good head on his shoulder. "Very well… follow my order, I will do everything in my power that even if you lose against it, you will survive!" He promised and hoped he could make it a reality.

**"Here he comes! The white knightmare!" **It was P4's voice.

"Give yourself a wide berth with him! And shoot!" Lelouch ordered as he saw the battle from bird view, a majestic white knightmare was closing in to a group of Shutterland. He himself had stationed himself in a sniper point, ready to shoot the Lancelot in case the knightmare was piloted by bigoted pilot who'd chase after ejected cockpit.

As expected Lancelot shrugged the attack off, using a green shield coming from its right arm. Lelouch narrowed his eyes, so that's Lancelot's luminous shield. He quickly typed in calculation of its size and energy usage. "Eject now!" He ordered when he saw the white knightmare was getting too close to his subordinates for comfort. The battle continued with them mainly using long ranged attack. So far so good as no one died and Lelouch could calculate its agility and speed, not accurate probably but good enough.

**"Take this!" **Lelouch groaned when he saw the loud mouth suddenly jumped in and tried to punch the Lancelot from behind. The white knightmare twisted its body, jumped to the air and landed a chop kick on the Shutterland's shoulder. Much to Lelouch's horror the idiot didn't eject. Their comrades of course ran to Tamaki's rescue, trying to pry the white knightmare off of him. Lelouch was sure none of them would listen if he asked them to move away, they're fearing for their friend's life after all.

The Lancelot spun around and caught the incoming punch swiftly, then pulled the Shutterland down and planted a kick to its torso. Lelouch's eyes widened, while Lancelot was an impressive knightmare the pilot was even more so! It was as if the machine was alive, the movement… was human like, a testament to the pilot's skill.

**"What should we do now?" **Kaname Ohgi's voice snapped him out of his thought. **"They're caught up in close combat with it!" **

Lelouch cleared his throat, "So far Lancelot left the ejected cockpit alone so we didn't have to worry." He assured the man who feared for his friends' life. Lelouch was about to say more but stopped when he saw Lancelot leaped to the air then took out two opponents at once with a spinning kick.

"That's…" Lelouch began exasperatedly, then turned off the radio before anyone from resistant group could hear him.

**"Boss." **It was Tojo, he was probably watching via satellite like he did. **"Isn't that… bochama's spinning kick?" **

Lelouch buried his face on his palms in frustration, his eyes flashed in fury. "Kururugi Suzaku! You idiot!"

**"Eh… how he could end up there boss?" **Tojo asked, **"And why?"**

Lelouch sighed as he typed in an order in his laptop for Wiley, a plan of escape route for the resistant group. "No idea… but as we all know Suzaku have good reflex and martial art skill to compliment it, I have no doubt he has good score in knightmare simulation." He murmured, "Lancelot was not on the field since it was completed because it's borderline un-pilotable, so their option is limited…"Lelouch concluded exasperatedly, "As for why… we didn't tell Suzaku about Clovis' order to eliminate the Japanese in this Ghetto, so the idiot might be deceived to think he was fighting terrorist… or he was just plainly misunderstood the situation." If the situation was not so dire Lelouch would have laugh, he knew Suzaku was slow but this was pushing it.

**"Sounds like him boss." **Tojo had comical waterfall tears on his eyes as he said it, his former student had never been the brightest but still...

Lelouch sighed, at least since Suzaku was so keen on not shedding blood needlessly he didn't have to fear for the resistance group's life at least. "I have enough data already. Mission completed! Q1! Distract Lancelot for a moment… enough to let P3,P4 and P8 to escape from him and then escape to sector D!"

**"Roger that!" **Kallen did as she was ordered and then run for her life. She disliked running, but she was more useful to Japan alive than dead.

The ex-prince smirked, "Now… all remaining units! Escape to sector D at top speed! Make sure to maintain 30 feet distance from the Lancelot! Q1 be their rear guard!"

**"Hai!" **with Kallen as their rear guard they made their escape.

Lelouch was right that Kallen couldn't resist taunting Lancelot with shooting her slash harken once in a while. "With this, they will keep Suzaku occupied while I go to pay Clovis a visit."

* * *

**With Lancelot**

Suzaku winced as his left leg throbbing in protest, but he was so close to destroy all knightmares the terrorist had. "As long as I destroy the knightmare this battle will stop!" And with that he chased the fleeing group determinedly.

This terrorist group was good, too good. They're really dangerous, especially the one with red Glasgow. Suzaku shuddered to think what a terrorist group with an ace would be capable off, they had Shutterland already but hopefully that's all they had.

Suzaku frowned when he saw they suddenly increased their speed, they could escape faster but risked their battery life and would be defenseless if his Lancelot caught up with them. Why? Wrong calculation?

Lancelot suddenly had to dodge a fallen debris, Suzaku's eyes widened when row of buildings on the roadside started to collapse one by one. "They didn't care about casualties at all!" Unknown to Suzaku, when he was busy fighting Lelouch had his men thoroughly make sure the buildings were unoccupied before they blew it up. Lelouch would be very offended if he heard Suzaku.

Suzaku gritted his teeth when he saw the terrorist had flee, along with stolen Shutterlands. His superiors would be pissed off by this for sure. Speaking of superior… where's Lelouch?  
He shook his head, he had to try to find the stolen knightmares and hopefully Lelouch was already safe.

However…

**"All forces! In the name of Clovis La Britannia, the viceroy of Area 11!  
I command all units to cease fire immediately!  
All casualties suffered by both Britannian and Elevens shall be treated equally without prejudice!  
I shall allow no more bloodshed!" **

"Cease fire?" Suzaku turned back and saw the terrorist had escaped with their stolen Shutterland. "I hope I won't regret this later…"

* * *

**G1, Britannia's Mobile Fortress **

Lelouch had to say it was pathetically easy to sneak into the mobile fortress, with so little left of Clovis' forces and Mukuro's mist flame. The latter had made his infiltration so smooth that not even a drop of blood needed until he made his way to Clovis' control room. Mukuro had hypnotize Clovis' men, including General Bartley to leave the room. Lelouch did it not to avoid bloodshed, but because he knew those men would face repercussion for abandoning their post. They're more useful disgraced than dead to him, especially Bartley.

Lelouch narrowed his eyes as he felt mist flame cloaked the room like a blanket, from security camera this scene would be altered. It was scary what mist user was capable of, especially oneof Mukuro's caliber.

"Next what?" Clovis droned, "Do you want me to sing a song? Or would you like to play a game of chess?" He said in mocking tone.

Lelouch snorted, Clovis always bark worse than his bite. "That brings back memories…" He began leisurely, "But I am not interested, you have never won against me and you never will."

"What?!" Clovis snapped.

"It's been a while…" Lelouch stepped closer, giving his half-brother a good look of him. "Brother." He spat the title venomously. "It's been seven years." Clovis' eyes widened, there's no mistake! Those purple eyes of the emperor only possessed by one boy, his half-brother! "I am the eldest son of Empress Marianne vi Britannia… once known as Knight of Two, although I have throw away my name… Lelouch vi Britannia."

Clovis stuttered, "Lelouch! I can't believe it! You're alive!" He exclaimed in shock. "How delightful! We should go back to our homeland immediately! Everyone would be overjoyed!"

Lelouch narrowed his eyes, "I am very much alive." He confirmed, "Although Lelouch vi Britannia had died seven years ago, he died when the emperor declared he is dead… even before Britannia invaded Japan without care of our life!" He snapped angrily as he pointed his gun at Clovis threateningly.

"But Lelouch! We're your family! We… we… care about you!" Clovis tried to reason with his half-brother.

Lelouch smirked at that, "Oh really? I don't see anyone but Cornelia and Euphy trying to comfort us after our mother's death! I didn't see anyone trying to stop the Emperor from banishing us!" He didn't really blame them for the latter, as they'd face the same fate as he did. "And I definitely didn't see you trying to look for us after you're made the Viceroy of Area 11!"

That shut Clovis up and Lelouch gritted his teeth in annoyance, "There's nothing you can do about the past, however…" Clovis trembled in fear as Lelouch's gun was getting too close for comfort. "I have few questions, if you answer all correctly… I will spare your life."

"Wh… what do you want to know, dear brother?" Clovis stuttered in fear.

"What do you know about my mother's death? Who killed her?" Lelouch demanded.

Clovis swallowed, "I don't know anything! It wasn't me! But…" He trailed off hesitantly. "Cornelia and Schneizel know something for sure!" He flailed, "Cornelia was part your mother's guards! And it's Schneizel who carried her body away!"

"And…" Lelouch demanded coldly.

He shook his head, "That's all! I swear!" He pleaded helplessly.

"Second question." Lelouch began as Clovis sweat profusely. "Why did you order destruction of Shinjuku Ghetto?" A useless question as he had heard the answer, but he wanted to at least… gave Clovis a second chance. If only… Clovis admit and regret his action…

Clovis focused on Lelouch's gun but relaxed as he could answer this question, "Oh, I am sorry that you happen to be in the wrong place and the wrong time Lelouch… I lost a dangerous prisoner to a group of terrorist, so I dispatched my arm to take care of the problem." He explained nervously. "It's a dangerous secret Lelouch! If the homeland finds out I would be forced to abdicate so I have to…"

The third prince didn't finish his sentence as Lelouch punched him on the face hard to the point he was sent sprawling on the steps of his throne. "Forced?!" Lelouch echoed dangerously, "You're forced to order your army to kill those innocent Japanese because you feared the emperor would disown you?!"

Clovis winced in pain as he held his throbbing cheek. "B-but Lelouch! They're just Elevens! No one would have cared!"

That snapped the last line of patience Lelouch had, "I care!" Lelouch roared. "And by now... I can say, I care more for them than for you! You bigoted monster!"

"I am your brother! We may have different mother but we still share the same blood!" Clovis argued as he try to crawl away from Lelouch in fear.

"The same accursed blood of Charles zi Britannia!" Lelouch pointed out in anger.

"We're family!" Clovis continued, flailing helplessly as Lelouch pinned him to the floor with one leg on his chest.

Lelouch couldn't control his anger any longer, how dare Clovis begged for his life with the same mouth he used to order the death of innocents! "And I'm so ashamed of it! You who order the death of innocents and justify it on your social status are no family of mine!"

Click, BANG!

The sound of gun rang through the air but instead of hitting vital organ that would cost Clovis his life, the bullet embedded to his shoulder. "Aargh!" He clutched his bloody shoulder with fear on his eyes.

Lelouch narrowed his eyes at the trident that cut off his gun in two. The barrel of the gun fell to the carpeted floor softly, and Mukuro withdrew his weapon. "That's enough Secondo…" Mukuro said in amused tone. "You're not suppose to taint your hand with his blood… "

The boss of Millefiore turned his attention to the mist guardian, "What is this treachery suppose to mean?" He snarled, "You're under my command… and…" His eyes widened when suddenly a vine of lotus wrapped itself around him and pulled him off of his brother. "MUKURO!"

Mukuro smirked, "My apologies… But as contract of our revolution project stated, you have refuse to kill and request protection of a number of your half-siblings… well, Clovis is under protected unless he acted out of line of morality and he did! But! You still have your right to not be the executioner…"

Lelouch snarled, "But now I choose to be…" He was about to activate his flame to burn the vine off but stopped when he saw someone else was in the room. A young Italian in his twenties with dark hair and brown eyes, Lelouch recognized the man instantly. Serial murderer Mukuro was tasked to capture and had used as host to move around, so this Mukuro was the one with real body and he left Leopold Acerbi in control?

Acerbi's eyes were wide in glee as he looked at trembling Clovis and he took out two knife that resembled comb with shark teeth. "He he he kill…" He cackled maniacally. "My preeeeeeeeeey!"

It didn't take long for Lelouch to figure out the mist's intention, they'd let Acerbi did their dirty job. Acerbi was already insane, no doubt Mukuro had tortured the man mercilessly, knowing the man would be executed. He always did that to his target he knew would be sentenced to death.

"Mukuro! Stop!" Lelouch shouted in panic. "Clovis! NO!"

"ARRRRRGH!" Clovis' pained scream echoed through the throne room as blood soaked the red carpeted floor.

Lelouch didn't knew when he managed to burn off all Mukuro's lotus vine, or when he threw Acerbi off of his brother but it was too late… Clovis la Britannia was no more, and he could barely recognize what was left of the third prince. Even though he was fully determined to kill the monster his half-brother had become, Lelouch had wanted to give Clovis a painless death. And this manner of death was anything but painless…

* * *

**And that's the fifth chapter...  
Please go to Jormungand wiki for more info about unfamiliar character you found in this story...  
**


	6. Chapter 6

**From last chapter:**

"I am your brother! We may have different mother but we still share the same blood!" Clovis argued as he try to crawl away from Lelouch in fear.

"The same accursed blood of Charles zi Britannia!" Lelouch pointed out in anger.

"We're family!" Clovis continued, flailing helplessly as Lelouch pinned him to the floor with one leg on his chest.

Lelouch couldn't control his anger any longer, how dare Clovis begged for his life with the same mouth he used to order the death of innocents! "And I'm so ashamed of it! You who order the death of innocents and justify it on your social status are no family of mine!"

Click, BANG!

The sound of gun rang through the air but instead of hitting vital organ that would cost Clovis his life, the bullet embedded to his shoulder. "Aargh!" He clutched his bloody shoulder with fear on his eyes.

Lelouch narrowed his eyes at the trident that cut off his gun in two. The barrel of the gun fell to the carpeted floor softly, and Mukuro withdrew his weapon. "That's enough Secondo…" Mukuro said in amused tone. "You're not suppose to taint your hand with his blood… "

The boss of Millefiore turned his attention to the mist guardian, "What is this treachery suppose to mean?" He snarled, "You're under my command… and…" His eyes widened when suddenly a vine of lotus wrapped itself around him and pulled him off of his brother. "MUKURO!"

Mukuro smirked, "My apologies… But as contract of our revolution project stated, you have refuse to kill and request protection of a number of your half-siblings… well, Clovis is under protected unless he acted out of line of morality and he did! But! You still have your right to not be the executioner…"

Lelouch snarled, "But now I choose to be…" He was about to activate his flame to burn the vine off but stopped when he saw someone else was in the room. A young Italian in his twenties with dark hair and brown eyes, Lelouch recognized the man instantly. Serial murderer Mukuro was tasked to capture and had used as host to move around, so this Mukuro was the one with real body and he left Leopold Acerbi in control?

Acerbi's eyes were wide in glee as he looked at trembling Clovis and he took out two knife that resembled comb with shark teeth. "He he he kill…" He cackled maniacally. "My preeeeeeeeeey!"

It didn't take long for Lelouch to figure out the mist's intention, they'd let Acerbi did their dirty job. Acerbi was already insane, no doubt Mukuro had tortured the man mercilessly, knowing the man would be executed. He always did that to his target he knew would be sentenced to death.

"Mukuro! Stop!" Lelouch shouted in panic. "Clovis! NO!"

"ARRRRRGH!" Clovis' pained scream echoed through the throne room as blood soaked the red carpeted floor.

Lelouch didn't knew when he managed to burn off all Mukuro's lotus vine, or when he threw Acerbi off of his brother but it was too late… Clovis la Britannia was no more, and he could barely recognize what was left of the third prince. Even though he was fully determined to kill the monster his half-brother had become, Lelouch had wanted to give Clovis a painless death. And this manner of death was anything but painless…

* * *

**Chapter 6 : Justice?**

Lelouch emptied his stomach as soon as he reached his bathroom; he had become so good at holding back from vomiting since his training as mafia boss began. And even all that training didn't help him from to stomach the gore scene of Clovis' death. Of course Clovis was not the first person he had seen die a horrible death, but to see someone you had been emotionally attached to die like that was entirely a different level of gore.

He had to contact Nunnally… she deserve to know what had become of Clovis, not the detail but at least the truth that Clovis was no longer in this world. He promised her to not hide the truth, they had come to terms that both of them were aware of the cruelty of their family and there was nothing about it to protect each other from. Nunnally knew Cornelia had subjugated so many neutral countries to Britannia and left path of blood on her conquest, Guineve's luxurious lifestyle, Carline's love for blood and violence, and even Scheizel's cunningness and his interest to develop mass-destruction weapon.

They knew… he and Nunnally.

But Lelouch decided to wait for few days to tell her, he couldn't show himself in this state for her… no he couldn't.

Silently he was grateful it wasn't him who killed Clovis, if letting Clovis to die affected him this badly he couldn't imagine if he was one who had done the deed. But still… it felt like a debt that would forever be unpaid.

* * *

**Few hours later… **

"How is your feeling?" Tsuna asked, they're having conversation through the computer screen.

Lelouch swallowed, "Horrible."

Tsuna hesitated, "I heard what Mukuro has done… " He trailed off, "I am so sorry for my mist…"

He shook his head, "No… you don't have to apologize Tsuna… he is right, our contract stated it! I plead for my half-siblings… and I don't want to kill them if I could choose." He admitted sadly. "I just hope… those I have listed they won't make the same mistake as Clovis did."

"I see…" Tsuna's eyes softened, "So about Fran…"

"I would like to reconsider." Lelouch stated with conviction, "After what happened with Mukuro… I am sure he mention I punched him square on his face, I don't think it's a good idea to take his disciple."

Tsuna snorted, "He didn't say anything but the purple bruise on his cheek is quite telling."

"I see…" Lelouch murmured, "I guess I won't get Cosa Nostra council off of my back anytime soon." He said jokingly.

The Vongola boss sighed at that, "I will take care of them." He waved off dismissively, "So… would you like me to broke the news to Nunnally? I don't think you're in any condition to do so yourself."

Lelouch shook his head, "Give me a few days… I need time to phrase how I am going to tell her. I… don't know how to tell her that Clovis ordered death of thousands of innocents. He… was the brother who taught us the joy of art, one of few siblings who never cared our mother was commoner…" He looked up sadly. "And then he became a monster… and his reason? He didn't want to abdicate if the emperor find out! How can I tell her that?!"

Tsuna looked at Lelouch, he couldn't lie to Nunnally but he also suffered to tell her the truth. He could whip up inspirational speech in few minutes but in front of his sister, Lelouch could be an incoherent mess. "Lelouch… take your time." He advised, "Nunnally will understand… she know she ask you a lot when you promise her to never lie to her. So please… don't force yourself, and remember… you're never alone. Never…"

Lelouch didn't answer but a slight quirk on his lips was enough answer to Tsuna. He was never alone.

"By the way… give your best to make Schneizel miserable in EU." Lelouch said with a smirk. "You have my blessing.

Tsuna snorted at that, "I will… and thank your for the insight of your brother's personality…" He hummed, "It will make my job easier."

"Anything to make Schneizel the white prince of Britannia squirm."

"Yes yes…" Tsuna rolled his eyes. "You and your brotherly rivalry."

* * *

**International water, 30 miles from Salomon Island.  
EU's battleship, Roxas. **

"So are we all in agreement?" Schneizel el Britannia's voice boomed across the room. He could see a number of EU leaders were discontent with the treaty, as their country had to pay a large sum to get Britannia army lay off of their country. Then again EU was stretching their resource to keep going, and so did Britannia, but EU didn't know that while Britannia did.

Schneizel suppressed disapproving gesture from his body language as the moment he asked, all representatives glanced at one particular individual as one. A lone Italian dressed in white-stripped suit, he looked severely undressed compared to him and other representatives who wore more elaborate suits. But there's no denying this man alone was his opponent in this verbal battlefield.

The man glanced at him, and Schneizel kept himself still to project the noble image of Britannia's white prince. It was unnerving how this man alone, one glance and he felt like scrutinized, and those amber eyes as if probing to his very soul. It also reminded him eerily of his beloved half-brother, little Lelouch who always observed the world keenly with his beautiful purple eyes he inherited from the emperor. However those amber orbs had none of Lelouch's innocent curiosity. Those eyes were dangerous, and every times he felt those eyes on him it took all his will power to not bolt from his seat.

It was ridiculous to feel so intimidated by mere eyes, but Schneizel always trusted his honed instinct and it never stir him wrong before.

"No." Came the reply for his query, confident and unyielding as it was said. "This treaty, the terms are not agreeable."

Schneizel smiled saccharinely to the speaker, "Is that so? Cielo Tsu Vongola?"

The brunette Italian returned the smile, "For one… it stated we're demanded pay this much war reparation." His finger tapped the sum, "For a war Britannia began." He said in a very formal tone but Schneizel almost heard mirth in Vongola's voice, it almost sounded like, _Ha ha ha, I have to pay you? You're kidding, right?_

This man was the bane of Britannia to get EU's approval to the peace treaty, simply because Cielo Vongola who represent Neo-Italy didn't believe in Britannia's superiority at all. His country had been foiling every invasion attempt from Britannia after all, so it was no wonder.

"I assure you Don Vongola, it's to benefit of all parties involved. I am understand why it looks unfair to you but considering the current state of war… the one who benefit the most would be EU. You have depleted your resource, and if we continue it would be more blood on both side but more gain in my side." He drawled in solemn tone.

It was quite a surprise when he heard other representative addressed the man as a mafia boss, a Don. Then again there was rumors before isolation period that Italy was controlled from the shadow by mafia, and Vongola… he had Canon researched the name the moment he heard it and was surprised when his aid returned and informed him of Vongola. The oldest, wealthiest and the most influential mafia famiglia in existence, and less than two decades ago they're as influential as a superpower country. So powerful that they funded the first expedition to moon on a whim of someone who won a competition they hosted, just because they had enough money, technology and influence to pull it off. They would have posed serious trouble to Britannia's conquest if not for their sudden isolation policy, and now they're back.

"I disagree… Prime Minister el Britannia." The answer was prompt, and it was not a good sign for Schneizel. Had Cielo paused even more than few seconds there would be doubt in other EU's representative's mind that they stand a chance against Britannia and this treaty. Cielo however answered so quickly and confidently. He placed himself as Schneizel's equal and lead the other representative to his side. "While it's true our resource is depleting." He said it with a smile, as if that didn't matter at all. "The same could be said to your army."

My, what a resourceful man Cielo Vongola was. "What make you think we're?"

"I am not asking for conformation Prime Minister el Britannia." Cielo of Vongola said confidently.

Which mean, Schneizel could try to deny it if he want but Cielo knew it was true. On top of that, at the rate this was going Schneizel might have to abstain temporarily from his duty as Prime Minister to lead their forces as their strategist in their invasion if they want to get somewhere or Britannia would exhaust their resource more than they already had.

However as the image of Britannia's superiority had to be upheld, he had to push through. So he laid a trap. "So you want us to continue this war as it is?" Had Cielo said yes, it would damage his reputation because Schneizel knew the reason EU accepted this meeting was because a number of their members were already tired of this war. _So tell me Vongola, what's your answer? If you say yes it would be for your pride and a downfall of your reputation with your peers. But if you say no, you lose this argument. _

Much to Schneizel's ire the mafia boss looked pretty amused. Cielo didn't have a smug look on his face like his little brother Lelouch did when he beat Clovis, nothing like that. But the way he smiled so serenely, as if he was patronizing Schneizel in this meeting was unnerving enough.

"Continue this war?" He echoed, "Depends." Which mean whether he was going to continue this war or not, it would be blamed on Britannia. How clever… the same thing Schneizel himself would say in Cielo's shoes. "As it is? No, of course not… we're quite resourceful on our own right Prime Minister el Britannia."

"I see…" Unlike other parties involved, Neo-Italy was an unknown. Their technology and military power were a huge question mark, and Cielo the bastard was smart enough to leave them guessing. If Britannia had their enemy fear their reputation, of past accomplishment. Neo-Italy had them feared the unknown, but that unknown was something that had swatted their army like flies for the last seven years.

"However… could all of you gentlemen." He glanced at the other EU representatives that seemed content to leave Cielo as their mouthpiece. "Believe his resourcefulness? After all your country insolated yourself from the world for almost a decade… just on your own, I find it hard to believe Don Vongola."

Cielo laughed softly at that, startling the occupants of the hall that instead of feeling threatened he found the situation hilarious. "Prime Minister el Britannia… we didn't fend off your countries' assault for a _decade_ with sitting on our laurels, we're flattered… really if you think we manage it against your army." He said, titling his head to the side with an amused smile on his face.

The blond prince now felt like he had just asked a pretty foolish question, even though he intended to discredit Neo-Italy, it backfired spectacularly. Then again in this verbal battle Cielo knew Britannia and him, while he had next to nothing on Cielo and his country. As he was already in unfavorable position he might as well crossed the burning bridge, "Out of curiosity why such resourceful country isolated themselves the moment war broke out?"

If he was offended Schneizel just accused his country for cowardice and ignorance, the Italian didn't show it. "We did not isolate ourselves when the war broke out, but the world found us isolated when the war broke out." He corrected in a heartbeat. "Our isolation is nothing to do with war, as proved we're perfectly capable to protect ourselves… and I recall we're discussing our peace treaty, not interrogating me about my country's internal affair."

"I am curious." Schneizel answered smoothly, and how unfortunate he didn't get even an inkling of this internal affair Cielo spoke of.

"And I am not obligated to satisfy that curiosity Prime Minister." The Vongola boss pointed out with a smile, "Now back to our peace treaty… I think it's in our best interest to make a new draft, we can't agree to the current proposal." That was not a suggestion but a statement.

Schneizel el Britannia in spite of his ire was excited, at last someone who could give him a challenge! The emperor would be fuming that he didn't get EU to sign the original treaty that greatly favored Britannia, but at this point a fair deal was hard enough to get.

"So… shall we renegotiate this treaty in few days?" He offered. "As Britannia was the one who wrote the treaty proposal for today, let's us both write the content and negotiate a fair treaty…"

Cielo clasped his palm slowly, interlacing his fingers as he rested his chin on it. "As long as we continue the ceasefire until we finalize the final draft." That was not a suggestion, and Schneizel nodded in response. "And before we adjourned this meeting Prime Minister el Britannia, I have a request."

Oh, that was unexpected and foolish. You should not make yourself owe your opponent before a peace treaty, but Schneizel was well aware this man wasn't stupid enough to make that mistake or his request worth the sarcrifice. "By all means please order a full retreat from Neo-Italy's territorial waters and airs."

Schneizel blinked at that, "Oh yes… the ceasefire agreement didn't include your country." Because before this meeting they didn't even know Neo-Italy was going to involve themselves.

He nodded curtly, chuckling softly. "There's no fire in the first place between Britannia and Neo-Italy, however… we would like a full retreat in your part… leave our territory immediately, not a ceasefire."

"That's a pretty bold demand Don Vongola." Schneizel returned calmly. "And that leave your country unsupervised by my army, if your country break the treaty we have no way of knowing before it's too late." Schneizel stated coldly. "I can't agree to that."

The Vongola boss hummed at that, "Break the treaty as in… attacking your army without provocation?" He raised an eyebrow at that, "Not sure how you could come to that conclusion, since for the last decade we're pretty much let Britannia sitting in our doorstep and we just want you to please make way… and really… war or not what right Britannia have in our territory?" He wondered out loud. "In that case instead of please leave, I will ask you to please be graceful about it when we _make_ you."

Schneizel felt his heart almost stopped at that, a threat and the first one the Vongola boss uttered in direct fashion. What made him worried was the way Cielo spoke, it as if he was talking about weather. It was surreal, a lone country threatening Britannia to leave their territory or it would make them? How absurd! So far Neo-Italy was sitting idly by, but there's no offense in their part at all. Did they really believe they could drive Britannia away from their country?

"Don Vongola… you're provoking my country." Schneizel pointed out. "We're here to discuss a peace treaty."

"And?" He pressed on, "I think I am quite direct, it's either leave on your own accord or we will make you leave… Britannia is occupying our doorstep for too long already. My people doesn't like that…" He said the last sentence with a sigh, as if he couldn't be bothered of Britannia being there but some people didn't share the same argument. "We're going to end our isolation and we can't have invading force like Britannia circling us around like a hawk, could we?"

Schneizal fumed inwardly, he couldn't deny that and if he refused Britannia was going to admit they're trying to hinder Neo-Italy from forming relationship with EU. "Even so Don Vongola… your country is an unknown variable to us and you're asking us to leave our back open to you."

"That's if we have any intention to attack your force unprovoked." Cielo retorted back, "And we don't." He stated confidently.

Schneizel was not stupid enough to believe that, as he didn't know what Neo-Italy would put under their list of provocation, for all he knew anything could constitute as provocation.

"As we're getting nowhere Prime Minister el Britannia…" He trailed off with a sigh, "Let me ask you a rhetorical question."

"Hm?" He had a bad feeling about this.

Cielo pulled out a pocket watch from his pocket and opened it. "If you issued a retreat to your forces stationed around my country, how long it will take until they start their retreat?"

_You can start running, or else. _

Schneizel narrowed his eyes, "Immediately." He replied vaguely.

Cielo sighed, apparently that's not the answer he wanted, the woman who wore eyepatch Schneizel dubbed as Cielo's eyes shifted before she handed him a phone "Prime Minister el Britannia, in the first place while I asked you nicely to order your forces to retreat on their own accord we're not going to let your army to continue their unwelcomed presence in our territory any longer. I hope you understand that."

Oh, he understood perfectly but the emperor would have his head if he did that because a mafia demanded him to do so. However… he was not playing a game he could lose. "I am understand, however it's not within my power to decide if my emperor say otherwise…"

"I see, very well…"

Huh, very well? "Don Vongola?"

"Then please remember that my country currently is not directly involve in this peace treaty but by relation of our connection to EU." Cielo of Vongola said with benign smile, "Which mean whatever happens now will not jeopardize our chance for the new draft of peace treaty, we give you a fair warning and will give you time have you accepted the offer. Can we continue with this in mind Prime Minister?"

What was that suppose to mean? He was going through with his ultimatum? "Yes, we can." Not his lose, and he was interested to see how this man was going to proceed with it.

He clicked a speed dial and put his phone on stereo. "If you didn't make your call before the seventh ring, we will remove your forces from our territory by all means… this is not a threat Prime Minister. It's a deal…"

Schneizel couldn't help but laugh softly at that, "A deal then."

Ring, ring, ring, ring, ring, ring… RING!

The Vongola boss ended the line and once again interlaced his fingers, resting his chin on it and waited. His eyes once again locked to Schneizel, waiting for something. Kanon who stood behind Schneizel's seat fidgeted, and no one dared to breath a word. The tension in the air was so thick you could cut it with a knife. A few minutes passed and silence was broken by the sound of two phones ringing, one belonged to Schneizel, which Kanon was holding and another was Cielo's.

"Well…"

Cielo just smiled, "Let's pick it up in the same time."

Schneizel narrowed his eyes as he nodded to Kanon who picked up the phone. "General Solde." Kanon murmured as he passed the phone to Schneizel.

"Yes, what it is General Solde?" Schneizel asked, his eyes never leaving Cielo who was on call. The Vongola boss didn't speak a word, his eyes closed as he heard someone on his phone speaking as if he was enjoying a music. Schneizel had surpress all his bodily reaction from showing shock when General Solder, who was in charge of invasion force to Neo-Italy spoke with bated breath.

**"Our force! It's gone your highness… I was on the way back from our mothership that located outside of their border when I receive a report of sudden heavy mist… and then we lost communication with our forces…" **General Solde said with a voice that clearly painted with horror and panic. **"The last thing we heard from my subordinates is screaming and then nothing… we'd go to see ourselves but the mist is so thick and it's impossible to proceed to their territory!" **

"Shouldn't you use to abnormal weather phenomena throughout your stay in their border?" Schneizel said, his voice was low as he had no intention to share their predicament to his fellow representative.

**"But this was in another level altogether Your Highness." **General Solde murmured, **"It happened so fast just a few minutes and we ****_completely_**** lost contact with our forces, and impossible to go back inside the mist… that would be suicidal." **

"I see…" what was going on there? This was unacceptable! "Then retreat and wait for your order."

General Solde sounded relieved that he was not ordered to charge in to a suicidal mission to retrieve their force. **"Yes Your Highness!" **

Schneizel ended the line and returned his attention to the Vongola Boss. "I presume you already know our forces is no longer in your territory." There were gasps of disbelief and awe as other EU representative all looked at the Vongola Boss with newly found respect. Britannia had walked through the trap, hook, line and sinker. Whether he accepted the offer or not, it would still display Neo-Italy power to EU and it's guaranteed EU would find a new confidence to defy Britannia.

It's not Britannia who was in advantage in this negotiation, but EU or rather Neo-Italy was to be exact. He had to tread carefully here…

"Three hundred and fifty knightmare frames, thirty Medium sized airships, vessels 8, escort vessel sixteen…" The Vongola boss listed on as he flipped his phone close. "This meeting is recorded so our deal is official, all of that loss is on you Prime Minister."

"Of course." Schneizel agreed in a heartbeat. "And I guess this is it? This meeting is adjourned until next week."

"We're all in agreement, our negotiation shall be resumed in one week." Cielo spoke for all representative of EU. "See you again in the next meeting, Prime Minister el Britannia…"

* * *

**Area 11 (HCLI's HQ) **

Lelouch was ashamed that he was so caught up in his grief that he almost forgot about Suzaku, then again there's nothing to fret about Suzaku's safety so there's no need to hurry. Then again he had been a wreck for the last few days until he talked to Nunnally last night, his sister had been saddened when he told her what happened. However Nunnally had always been a strong girl. So she accepted the tragedy that had happened to Clovis with strong heart.

**"Seven years is a long time brother… You and I have learned how power corrupt human, and brother Clovis is one of many who have fall prey to it…  
He will always be a brother we loved,  
even though we could never forgive him for his sins…  
But we will never forget that long ago we all share fond memories…  
of him painting us as a family."**

He was awed by Nunnally's wisdom, he had underestimated her. However it didn't change the fact she was saddened by the news, and he wanted to cheer her up. So he told her that he found Suzaku, and he planned to make Suzaku one of Millefiore Knights. Nunnally was overjoyed by the idea of Suzaku to be one of their family members and wished to see him again. So here he was… trying to get in contact with Suzaku, but he had tried to call him twice and no one pick up the phone.

Suzaku couldn't be that angry to ignore his call, could he? But Suzaku didn't know his number so there's no way he knew it's Lelouch who called, and Suzaku was not a type who ignore phone call. Suzaku he knew would pick the phone up and yelled at him.

Then someone pick up the call, "Hello? Who is this?"

A voice of young woman! Suzaku's relative? Girlfriend perhaps? "Uhm… I am Lamperouge, Suzaku's friend. Can I speak to him?" Then he added, "May I know who… I am speaking to?"

"I am Cecil Croomy… Suzaku's colleague." An army officer, and she called Suzaku with familiarity. They're quite close perhaps? "As for Suzaku… uhm… he left his phone in our lab." A lab? As expected Suzaku was with ASEEC, he didn't know what to feel to know Suzaku was Schneizel's employee now.

"I see…" She sounded nervous, could it be she was hiding something? "So where's Suzaku? I promise him to hang out today so…"

Cecil swallowed, "I am not sure I can tell you… but Suzaku is arrested." Then again she knew it would be announced to public by tomorrow night if Lloyd's prediction become true, and her genius superior usually was.

"Arrested?!" Lelouch echoed incredulously, "But… that can't be! What for?!"

Cecil in another end of the line glanced around nervously, "Please keep this a secret but by tomorrow night or afternoon… there would be public announcement of Prince Clovis' death." Dread began to wash over him as piece by piece slowly fell in place. "The purist faction suspected Suzaku is involved…"

"He is what?!" Lelouch exclaimed.

"NO!" Cecil denied vehemently, "Suzaku is an honest and kind boy, he is not a murderer… We should be able to provide him a strong alibi! I promise you that your friend would be alright…" She promised in determined voice and she ended the line.

Lelouch slumped to his chair, his mind began to process all facts he gathered and analyze the situation. Clovis was dead and they couldn't find the culprit. The circumstances where G1 was one of the most secure fortresses made people speculating it's an inside job, and the culprit was very likely someone from Britannia army. There's no way they could let that happen to the point army would be forced to give up someone, which most probably advisors Mukuro hypnotized to leave their post. So the purist set up a scapegoat. Suzaku had a very convenient background, him being the son of Kururugi Genbu, not to mention with his Honorary Britannian status it would give them a convenient excuse to obliterate Honorary Britannian system.

Fucking bigot! All of them!

He quickly dialed the number of Tsuna's phone and waited. It took one ring for Tsuna to pick it up. "Tsuna… I need a favor, and first of all I am really sorry that the council will be hounding us even worse than before for this, but it have to be done!" Any other day he'd be ashamed to be caught pleading to his fellow sky, but his pride was a _very_ small price to pay for his best friend.

He could almost see his second best friend smiled in the other end. "What do you need Lelouch?"

* * *

**Britannia's prison **

Suzaku couldn't believe that Margrave Jeremiah Gottwald tried to get him to admit a crime he had never done, one so cruel that he couldn't even imagine capable of doing no less. Clovis la Britannia had died a horrible death, he had been mutilated with some sort of knife and had a bullet wound on his shoulder. Not only Suzaku was out piloting Lancelot at the time of his death, he was not insane enough to be able to kill anyone like that. Even if Jeremiah was right that he had a motif to do it as the son of Kururugi Genbu, he didn't think he'd mutilate anyone no matter how much he hate them.

"I didn't do it." He said for the hundredth time since the interrogation began.

Jeremiah snorted, "I ask you again Kururugi… if you confess, you'll be judged as a honorable member of Britannian society."

Britannia was a society where power, blood and status were everything. Admitting the crime he never committed, one as grave as regicide would kill him. He was not as smart as Lelouch but he was not that stupid to give in to their demand.

"We found this gun with your fingerprint all over it." Jeremiah stated, glancing at the gun he placed on the table. "Don't make it difficult for yourself."

If Lelouch had been here he'd point out faking fingerprint was really easy, especially since they had him unconscious for a few hours, that plenty of time to get his fingerprints. "I didn't kill Prince Clovis, and that gun is not mine."

And his answer would be always the same, as his consciousness faded he faintly heard Lelouch's voice calling him an idiot again.

They're terrified, very much so and it was an understatement of the century. Koko and Kasper were laidback for most of the time but they really wanted to get away from their boss until he calmed down. It was not like he snapped and started screaming profanities at them. He didn't but… his killing intent was enough to make them quiver like a leaf.

"So." Lelouch's voice was dripping with ice as he read their report. "They plan to parade Suzaku in front of bigoted Britannian and broadcast the said parade?"

Kasper nodded, "Yes…" He pitied whoever involved in this charade, because after this was over Lelouch would leave their pride and honor in tatters.

"So here is the scenario." Lelouch began to explain what he wanted them to do, it took ten minutes as Lelouch explained it in great detail of what kind of reaction he wanted them to get. "I expect you to follow it to the letter."

"Yes boss." They chorused, and after all of this was over they vowed to not even look at Kururugi the wrong way as it seemed their boss was as protective as he was to Nunnally when this boy was concerned.

* * *

**The next day… **

Jeremiah couldn't believe his ears, did he hear that right. "What do you mean… the parade had to be cancelled?" He roared in anger.

Kewell Soresi clenched his fist, "I am not sure either Jeremiah… apparently it involve one of major country of EU. According to the email Lord Kanon Maldini sent… somehow the ambassador who visited Area 11 got a wind about our prince's death when he was going to request audience with Prince Clovis." He muttered, "The ambassador had an agent with him… some sort of equal of our OSI, and he had connection with our men in forensic department… offered his help and… he said the wound on Prince Clovis body resemble **five **cases he encountered before." He wiped the sweat on his eyebrow. "I know it sounds like overstretched story but it happened! Just three hours ago!"

Jeremiah swallowed, "And is there any instruction from Prince Schneizel? Your highness I recall is busy negotiating with EU, and he needs an edge. If we handle this poorly…" How the hell this case became an international issue? Fuck! "Which major country we're speaking about?"

"Neo-Italy." Kewell gritted out.

There was a sharp intake of breath from Jeremiah when he heard the name of one bloody country that defied Britannia since forever _and_ succeeding staining their unblemished record of superiority. Never mind all surviving soldiers who went on mission to subjugate the country blame Mother Nature for their failure, they're still swatted out of Neo-Italy's sky like flies. The fact remained that country was unnaturally strong, and they had come out from hiding. Prince Schneizel was not amused when peace treaty few days ago ended in failure (or rather not ended in Britannia favor) because EU found new confidence when a leader from Neo-Italy after seven years of isolation came and back them up. They're still isolated but little by little, that country was showing their fang. And now for some unholy reason they took interest in Prince Clovis' murder case.

"Fuck." He summarized their situation perfectly.

"My sentiment exactly." Kewell agreed. "Sir Maldini stated Prince Schneizel wish for us to let them inside the investigation, he want to learn how they operate… what they're up to." He sighed. "Can you believe the emperor let them?" He wondered out loud.

"Remember Prince Orion's funeral?" Jeremiah pointed out with a sigh. The eighth prince was not the brightest of Imperial children, and in one reckless moment he was gunned down when he visited Area 7, which supposed to be a stable area. The emperor only cared enough to attend the funeral for formality sake before started his 'Not equal' speech and looked at his son's casket in disdain. The investigation of Orion's death carried on by those who cared before stopped all together.

That was pretty much the same thing that happened to vi Britannia siblings… his empress, his prince… his princess… No matter how loyal he was to their country, he couldn't help but resent the emperor for sending Prince Lelouch and Princess Nunnally to their death. He supposed Prince Clovis was not any better in His Majesty's eyes, another weak children eliminated from the game of succession. If anyone, even if foreign agent wanted to investigate his death, Charles zi Britannia couldn't bring himself to care. Clovis was still weak and dead.

"Well…" He swallowed, "At least we might get the real culprit."

The Margrave glared at Kewell, "Are you an idiot?! We can cancel the parade but they didn't say anything about cancelling the martial court!"

"But we should have!" Kewell protested. "If they can prove Kururugi is innocent, we're toast!" Their reputation at least.

Jeremiah wondered if Kewell had inhaled something in their last battle in Shinjuku Ghetto. Had he lost his marble? "In two hours?! We have sent invitation to nobles! High ranked soldiers… we can't cancel it and say… sorry our bluff is called off so please go back home and return again once we get the real culprit." Jeremiah concluded bitterly. "The broadcast is already on! While we can explain there's no parade, we can't cancel the court! We're going to be humiliated! And there's nothing we can do!"

* * *

**Courtroom**

Two hours later Jeremiah thoroughly regretted his brilliant plan, as Kururugi sat down in the center of his court with his hopelessly innocent face. The boy had a face that screaming 'can anyone explain me what's going on here?' to them. And Jeremiah knew anything the judge asked, Kururugi's answer will be the same.

_He didn't do it._

He was pretty much resigned to his fate that this court would one hell of a ride. Start from since when Kururugi got a lawyer? As they definitely never arranged one for him. However somehow the name of the lawyer, Kasper Hekmatyar made it to their paper as Kururugi's lawyer. He was sure as hell the paper was made yesterday so when they could tamper it if they're made aware of this problem just this morning?

Kewell was trying it seemed, and Jeremiah wished they could just call it off. "We found the gun with Private Kururugi's fingerprint all over it on the scene of crime, it should be easy for a soldier dressed in infantry corps uniform to blend in and infiltrate… " He cleared his throat, "Not infiltrating, as we all know Kururugi was part of our army, sworn to our country but he used Prince Clovis's kindness to do this horrible crime!" Kewell accused with gutso.

The judge turned to Kururugi's lawyer, "Do you have anything to say about this accusation?"

Kasper would have snorted if this was not a formal event. "First of all it's impossible for Private Kururugi to get inside Prince Clovis' room unnoticed, especially wearing his uniform. A foot soldier wandering around higher ups' area is not something anyone in the army will overlook. Even if we take into account that General Bartley…" Jeremiah flinched, and cursed the fat general for leaving to get a fresh air after Prince Clovis chewed him out. "Left his post and Prince Clovis defenseless. And don't forget as testified by Earl Asplund, Private Kururugi was piloting prototype Z-01 Lancelot, and that's a very strong alibi as Lancelot had recorded communication between my client and Earl Asplund…"

Kewell glared at the lawyer, "It could be fabricated! The data even one in a prototype knightmare could be fabricated." Lloyd looked ready to jump Kewell if not for Cecil stopping him.

The lawyer didn't even flinch as he continued, as if Kewell was nothing but a mere fly and its buzzing was just annoyance. "And Prince Clovis himself is the one who give permission to launch Lancelot… no one but Earl Asplund and Miss Cecil Croomy know who they're going to choose to be test pilot of Lancelot." He pointed out, "Unless of course you're implying that an Earl and trusted member of ASEEC under Prime Minister is collaborating with a honorary Britannian to kill Prince Clovis?" Kasper had a gall to paste a horrified look on his face.

Jeremiah just knew appointing Kewel for this job was going to bite him in the ass, before it was a carefully staged court but now the stage was not theirs.

"As for the gun found on the scene, which… " Kasper trailed off, taking a look at his note with a grin. "Have Kururugi's finger prints all over it." He smirked, mocking the foolishness of using fingerprint as solid proof evidence in this case.

Kasper looked up to the judge. "Your honor, according to forensic report the bullet and this gun." He raised the gun wrapped in plastic bag. "Is not a match… this gun is standard gun infantry corps used, which was the corps my client used to belong to. The gun used to fire the bullet we found in Prince Clovis' body according to forensic suppose to be smaller size than one we have here…" Then he added, "And also… the gunshot didn't kill Prince Clovis, so why did we focus on this gun here as a evident that say my client is guilty?" He wondered out loud.

"Beside there's a possibility this gun is left there…" He glanced at Jeremiah and the knight tensed. Jeremiah for a moment feared for his life, those icy eyes of Kururugi's lawyer were almost inhuman. "To deliberately misleading our investigation…"

"A solid point." The judge couldn't help but agree.

It was an one-man show, and Jeremiah knew had he been in Kewell's shoes he won't be able to do better. Kasper Hekmatyar had this on the bag, this was already a lost case since the very beginning the moment they lost control of the stage.

"As for the true culprit." Kasper began as he opened his case to take a flash disk then put it on computer. A moment later they could see a slideshow of gore that reminded Jeremiah of what was left of their beloved third prince. Then to a picture of a man in his twenties, an Aria with unclear nationality. The name 'Leopold Acerbi' was beneath the photo.

"Leopold Acerbi was a serial killer that roamed Europe continent since last year." He began, and then the slide shifted to a unique looking dagger, it looked like a comb with shark teeth. "As you can see his victims have distinctive injury due to his unique choice of weapon." His eyes turned cold. "I didn't say it's 100% sure this man is the one who killed Prince Clovis but he is definitely a more likely culprit than my client."

Kewell scoffed, glaring at the white haired man, "And pray tell Mr. Hekmatyar… how a serial killer could be a more likely culprit than the son of late Prime Minister? Or if he has any motif?"

Jeremiah wished he was in Kewell's position now, because at least he knew which stupid question not to be asked to a sly lawyer like Hekmatyar. Did a serial killer need a proper motif to kill? At most cases they're crazy.

Kasper echoed his thought, "He is a serial murderer with questionable sanity… Mr Kewell…" He pointed out loftily. "Although since the very beginning of his career Leopold had a history of targeting nobles… he has experience infiltrating places with top security." Then he glanced at Suzaku, "My client in the other hand in spite of being the son of last prime minister of Area 11 has spotless record, and of course I know he is a good martial artist and so on but nothing that could aid him to waltz in to G1 undetected."

He cleared his throat, "The reason I brought this upmy honor… is that we have a serial killer on the loose who had just killed Prince Clovis and we waste our time to judge an innocent man!"

Kewell fumed, "There's no solid evidence this Leopold you speak of is the one responsible!"

"But enough evidence to start investigation on him!" Kasper returned confidently, "Leopold is not an unknown serial killer, he is pretty famous! If you bother to check on the net he was all over it for the last two years…" Then he shrugged, "But of course if you're just looking for nearest man who 'might' have a motif you will not look anywhere but closer from home."

Jermiah closed his eyes and forgot how to work this court to their favor, no… he had to plot how to soften the blow to their faction after this. The lawyer had blown this staged court out of proportion, and even if he didn't say anything about Purist faction trying to scam the society for their own gain, anyone with a brain would be able to put two and two together.

Not to mention as much as he hated to admit it, they had wasted their time on Kururugi while the Leopold who might be the real culprit was on the loose and threatening their people especially nobles. Jeremiah's eyes widened in shock at his last thought, _'Shit! Shit! Even if I use my influence to censor the media after this the presence of serial murderer targeting noble would backfire that! If someone get killed after this, we are toast! Damn it!' _

The purist would lose their support from the noble, their reputation and honor would be in tatter! Not to mention if Kasper was proved right and someone died before they could catch Leopold…

He didn't know how long he spent in his seat mulling over the best course of action to get his faction out of this shit hole they dug themselves, but he was snapped out of his thought when the judge's hammer hit and read the result of the court. "Due to lack of evidence… Private Kururugi shall be declared as innocent, cleared of all charge and granted a formal apology."

Jeremiah quickly made his way out of the court room, ignoring Viletta and his fellow purist's cries about their failed scam. Who care about Kururugi now? He had to run a damage control before something irreversible happen.

On his haste to get out of the room he almost ran to a frantic foot soldier, "Report milord!" He said in a voice that clearly out of breath but managed to maintain it to respectful standard. "Duke Gargoyle was assaulted and killed on his way back to his residence! He was mutilated by an unknown man to death until police force dispatched their men to apprehend the culprit!"

Mutilated? Oh shit! "Did they catch the culprit?!" He demanded, hoping to all God above that they did.

The foot soldier swallowed, "No milord… they barely escaped with their life and the culprit was nowhere to be found."

Oh shit.

"That doesn't sounds good." A cheery voice said.

Jeremiah turned around to see Kasper Hekmatyar thoughtfully scrutinizing him. "You!"

"Yes, me!" He beamed. "I would like to inform you as it's your authority to catch Leopold now we would like to negotiate with Britannia about what to do to him after you capture him." Jeremiah didn't miss the unspoken, 'if you can do it' "That man have strike terror for too long so we don't really care who judge him… and I am sure he would be sentenced to death either way so we would be willing to release him to be judged under Britannia law. And then we will let bygones be bygones?" Kasper offered with a grin.

Jeremiah snarled, "Oh really? No repercussion? But it's partly EU's fault Leopold made his way to Area 11 and killed our prince!"

"Oh really?" Kasper echoed, "In case you forgot Lord Jeremiah… we have no authority to investigate on our own and we couldn't possibly know Leopold would go after Prince Clovis." He pointed out coolly. "Beside… EU and Britannia are at war now, and Prince Schneizel is negotiating a peace treaty to end it… if you want to pick a fight with EU over a crime of one man and jeopardize your prince's chance to establish a treaty, by all means… go ahead." He said in shooing motion.

Jeremiah didn't say anything, but what to say now that he had better things to do such as chasing serial murderer than wasting his breath on Hekmatyar. He ignored the laughter that no doubt Hekmatyar gloating his retreat, he had a murderer to catch! He swore on his honor that he wouldn't lose another murderer of imperial family member!

* * *

Suzaku was thoroughly confused when Kasper Hekmatyar who was assigned to be his lawyer returned with a big grin to the courtroom. How the man managed to be his lawyer he had no idea, after all he didn't have money to pay such a good lawyer, not to mention in this scam he shouldn't be able to have one. He was even more confused when the man kidnapped him before anyone could take him back to back to army's custody. He tried to protest but he still had the electric collar on so he couldn't say a thing. The guards who supposed to bring him back to wherever he should be after the court were strangely silent, it was as if anyone in the court for that period of time were not aware of his and Kasper's presence.

Something abnormal was happening here and he couldn't put a finger on it, but he felt something in the room. Something dark… almost sinister but not quite, coating the room like a blanket. It was a surreal feeling. He tried to struggle but with handcuff and the collar even a trained soldier like him was helpless as Kasper had two of his men dragging him away from the courtroom.  
When they're safely out of the building Kasper unclasp his collar but not the handcuff, then his men shoved him to go inside a black car parked nearby.

He refused to follow their charade any longer, "No! I need to go back to the courtroom! I may have declared as innocent but I have my duties and I can't just run off like this!" He said as he struggled against the tanned guard who was holding his hand to stop him from running back.

The window of the car slid down a little, not enough to see the passenger but enough for the passenger's voice to be heard. "Suzaku." The Japanese boy stiffened, he recognized that voice. "Get inside, _now._"

He knew that tone, and Suzaku quickly comply because if not he would have someone throwing tantrum on his face. He entered the car warily, and then he sat down, swallowing nervously as his eyes met his old friend's. "Lelouch…" His friend was dressed in a simple black suit with lavender tie and undershirt, he supposed the suit was businessman's attire but somehow his regal air made him looks princely. Lelouch in spite of his banishment was born as a prince after all.

Lelouch crossed his arms against his chest, scrutinizing his friend for injury and discomfort. He sighed wearily, "Hello Suzaku… it seems we're prone to meet in a very unique circumstances."

"I guess." Suzaku said sheepishly. "Why are you here?"

The ex-prince snorted, "Bailing your ass, what else? Do you think Kasper magically appeared out of nowhere to rescue you? No, I ordered him to masquerade as your lawyer and save you from execution."

Suzaku looked stunned for a moment, processing what he just heard. Just like in old days whenever one of them got in trouble, another always ready to bail each other out of it. "I should know this is one of your genius plan… I guess I owe you again Lelouch."

"Suzaku…" Lelouch began exasperatedly. "If you count how many times we saved each other's life throughout our childhood, especially when we walking through the war zone I am sure we will lost track of how much we owe each other… it's something mutual between us I suppose." He explained with a huff. "I never owe you and neither you do."

Suzaku laughed softly at that, "Regardless… I will still thank you for bailing me out."

"You're welcome." Lelouch replied promptly, "But I have to say I didn't appreciate you to return to the army after this scam they put you through."

The brunette tensed, "Lelouch… I am a soldier, I have to return… it's my duty."

"Like hell!" Lelouch snarled, startling Suzaku. "I bet they beat you up to force you to confess something you've never done?" His silence was enough answer, or rather the bruise and his dirty prisoner's garb did. "Are you sure you're going back to the army after they made you a scapegoat?"

Suzaku swallowed, "Yes they did, as for going back to the army…" He looked away, "I don't have anywhere else to go…"

Lelouch frowned at that, he wanted to ask how come the scion of Kururugi clan didn't have anywhere else to go? But looking at Suzaku's current position as honorary Britannian and part of army, it's very likely he had been disowned. That's not something he'd pry, "Fine! I will give you somewhere to go." He turned to his driver. "Ugo, let's go back."

"Lelouch?"

The ex-prince sighed, "You have went through a lot in the last few days, and I guess it's not the time to give you another reality check." He explained wearily, and then his voice softened. "I am sorry for being insensitive…"

He blinked owlishly, "Wow… two apologies in less than one week, that have to be a record." Suzaku couldn't help but say. He clamped his mouth shut the moment he realized what he just said and flushed a deep red. His old self, the naïve, brash and self-centered ten years old self seemed resurface whenever Lelouch was around.

Instead of annoyed by Suzaku's remark, Lelouch just smiled as he knew this cocky Suzaku better than the selfless soldier of Britannia. "I will let that one slide." Lelouch scoffed, "A bath, a change of clothes." He snorted at Suzaku's dirty white garb in disdain. "And a warm dinner."

Suzaku's stomach growled in response, and the brunette blushed even redder. "Uhm… that would be nice."

* * *

**Cielo is Tsuna's alias because it would be suspicious an Italian to have Japanese name...  
**

**I don't know proper procedure of a court so sorry, if it's wrong. But I want to write a different way to safe Suzaku other than ruining the parade LOL **

**REVIEW PLEASE! **

**ps: STill in writer block for PAOST **


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7 : Brewing Conflict **

_The chess set they're using was made of glass, the white one was made of clear glass while the black was of tinted glass. It was one of few things that's not in cash he acquired from his gambling days, which a noble offered in exchange of money. The material was just glass but it was beautiful art piece made by a well-known gaffer from Italy. Apparently the noble bought it from an auction decades ago. Lelouch found it ironic the chess set found its way back to its origin, back to Neo-Italy. _

_Once upon a time Suzaku told him happiness was like a glass, just like this chess set. When he pulled it out for use rather than a decoration, he wondered if he would be able to see what Suzaku spoke of. _

_"Check." Tsuna declared as he moved his bishop. _

_Lelouch smiled at that, "Not bad… you're improving, and for the first time this month you manage to put me in check." _

_Tsuna shrugged, "My mind works better in heat of battle instead of a game like this." Tsuna admitted, it was not an excuse but the truth. The Vongola's mind works better under pressure, unlike Lelouch who in 24/7 constantly thinking like a quantum computer. _

_"I guess that suits you well, the one who could see through all." Lelouch murmured as he made his move. _

_The Vongola boss gazed down, surveying the board and noticed Lelouch was going to take out his queen in the next move. "My hyper intuition is a blood trait that passed through from my ancestor, as my ring serve as vertical axis of the time stream." He murmured. "It's part of ability Vongola ring granted onto me, to harness ability and knowledge of previous generation…" _

_That, along with the sin of Vongola, the knowledge of Vongola had made river of blood as part of their duty as one of Trinisette holders. _

_Lelouch glanced at his own ring, his Trinisette. When it comes to Trinisette, the old saying of Neo-Italy that with power comes duty and suffering couldn't be truer. "Your predecessors were resourceful individuals." _

_"They were." Tsuna agreed as his forefinger tapped the head of his white king. "However if we want to learn from past mistake I am strongly against creating river of blood, because first." _

_"You don't want that on our head." Lelouch spoke his mind for him. "And frankly I am agree, but remember there's never a bloodless revolution in history. No matter how good we're in diplomacy we would never be able to change the world with beautiful and kind words…" _

_Tsuna glared at that, "You can call me idealistic, but in the same time I am not an idealistic idiot who would chuck my logic out of the window the moment I am forced to shed blood…" Tsuna said as Lelouch watched his knight mercilessly kicked out of the board. "I just don't like, I don't want it, and I will never see it as the right thing to do, but something I have to do." _

_He huffed at that, "I see… regardless, that didn't make you feel better about yourself I suppose?" Lelouch said as he quirked an eyebrow. "It's getting to the point that everyone in Neo-Italy know you hate bloodshed, that you lead your famiglia to battlefield with frown on your face and fist swung like a prayer." Sometimes he wondered how Tsuna kept his sanity intact in this cruel world. _

_He narrowed his eyes at that, "I never like my title as The Saint of Sky…" As usual the way Tsuna spoke his title sounded like he just swallowed something bitter, Lelouch noted. "I spilled blood… I killed, and all hailed me as hero when I and my guardians want nothing but stop the bloodshed." _

_"Don't we all want the same thing…" Lelouch said in lofty tone as he made his move. "But believe me, the project we initiated to start by the time of my return to Japan will be an answer to create a peaceful and gentle world." His knight just took out Tsuna's white king and the game had ended. "Once." The white king fell with a clink to the board. "And for all…" _

_"Is that white king figuratively Charles zi Britannia?" Tsuna asked curiously. _

_Lelouch snorted, "I wish, but unfortunately… I have come to realize that kicking the emperor six feet under is not going to stop or change Brintannia permanently. He is already in power for too long and corrupting the country with his ideology." He picked the white king up and made it stood in the middle of the board, one finger rested on its head and rocked it back and forth. "Charles zi Britannia has to die of course." He ignored Tsuna rolling eyes at him, the topic of patricide when Lelouch was concerned was like talking about bee and honey. "But the king is the ideology of Britannia itself… " _

_"Hoo…" Somehow Tsuna felt it was harder than killing the emperor, as Britannia had adopted a pretty twisted sense of morality for so long under their emperor. A sick, a very sick society. "I see, and I am really forward how you are going to throw it on their face that for all superiority they're so proud of they're as human as numbers they labeled as sub-human." _

_Lelouch rolled his eyes. "Oh please… you're the last person who would lord over anyone if you have a choice, even if they're Britannian." Because he knew had Tsuna was given a choice, the brunette would choose to live a quiet life surrounded by his friends, family and books. Tsuna didn't want to lead a giant criminal organization; he just wanted a simple life. _

_"I am…" He admitted with a smile, "But Lelouch… remember that, even though we have vowed to do everything in our power to create peaceful world… there are lines that we couldn't cross no matter what." He raised his right hand to Lelouch's eye level so the ex-prince could see a small dying will flame blazing from the the Vongola ring. "We're the pillar of the world and the one who set the flame in our famiglia's heart ablaze."_

_"…"_

_ "The moment that ring found its way to your finger you life is no longer yours alone… do remember that, always. And that's why…" His forefinger reached out for the black king piece and pressed the tip of its head, and the glass piece melted under his finger. "To prosper or to ruin, you have chosen your path to protect and shape the world… that's your duty as the sky of Mare ring… never forget that." _

_That was not a suggestion, or an order, that was an absolute rule Trinisette holder had to upheld. _

_"Right back at you." Lelouch returned promptly. _

_He shrugged, "Touché, but I would like to point out I undoubtedly have better sense of self-preservation compared to you…" _

_Lelouch tensed at that, "Do you believe everything Colonello tell you?" _

_"Lelouch." Tsuna began exasperatedly, "When I accepted my friends as my guardians, the first thing I learn is that we share my burden. They live and die with me… They bear the sin of our famiglia like I do." He explained solemnly. "If you value yourself you will not hesitate and delay the choosing of your knights." He pointed out. "You think of becoming your knight is the same as death sentence." _

_He could deny that, but since day one Lelouch had learned lying to Tsuna was a pointless thing to do. You can't lie to him, as he will see through as naturally as breathing. "In the same time… they shall be the one I trust with my life and burden, when you ask me of who I want to be my knight… I without hesitation choose my first and best friend and then I learned I would condemn him to the same burden! How do you think I should feel about that?"_

_"I am understand that!" Tsuna snapped, "I have went through it! I took their normal life as civilian away from Ryohei and Yamamoto, while Hayato is willing… I took him away from his famiglia and his heritance, the same goes for Lambo which including his childhood. And let's don't start on Chrome or Mukuro or Kyoya…" He drawled bitterly, "But we have to do what we must." _

_"I hope the council is not putting you up for this." Lelouch hissed. _

_"No, I do this for you." Tsuna said with a weary sigh. "You can't avoid this forever, if you need time you're allowed to have it but remember…" _

_Lelouch gritted his teeth, "I can't bear this burden alone forever, and I am being selfish if I try…" _

_"Lelouch…" _

_"I know…" He murmured, "I know but still…" _

_"…"_

_"…By the way, do replace my black king you melted." Lelouch pointed out with a glare. "It's an art piece by Gavanni. And I recall your family is a frequent customer of his."_

_Tsuna had the decency to blush at his blunder, "Eh, sure."_

* * *

3 Months later…

BANG! BANG!

Lelouch refilled his gun and began another roll of shooting mindlessly, he won't imagine it last year that he found mindlessly training his aim would help him to clear his mind. He had been doing this for so long, how many hours had passed? Or perhaps…

BANG!

Why he was being indecisive? It was Tsuna who used to do that, because the Vongola boss was too kind for his own good and carried emotional and morality baggage bigger than he was. If there was one thing he was good at that Tsuna wasn't, it was weighing option based on probability and logical variable instead of emotion. Something Reborn repeatedly remind Tsuna to learn for him when the need arise. Tsuna's kindness and compassion was not a weakness, it was his strength but sometimes it hampered his judgement and worth more trouble than its worth according to Reborn.

Colonello thought that was one thing that would never trouble his disciple like it did Reborn's. But apparently Lelouch made exceptions, and Suzaku was one of them next to Nunnally.

_'Should I? Should I not?' _Lelouch contemplated as he shoot another bullet, which strike the forehead mark of the dummy target. _'The old Suzaku I knew will jump at the chance for his adventurous drive and friendship for me, but the current Suzaku…" _With all that morality and chivalrous mumbo jumbo he spout? Unlikely, and Suzaku probably tried to convince him to abandon his criminal way, never mind his famiglia was a government organization and had almost next to nothing in their criminal record since he took charge.

BANG!

_'But there's still the old Suzaku I know somewhere in him.' _Lelouch couldn't help but thought. _'He is not a completely unknown person to me, and he is still my best friend.' _

BANG!

However was granting him the position, as one of Millefiore knights saving Suzaku from his destructive path, or that would condemn Suzaku to something worse?

But if he let Suzaku be, at the rate he was going even if by chance someone from higher ups noticed him. Someone like Schneizel who value skill than status for example, it won't help Suzaku to achieve his goal as long as Britannia and her army moved in this world as an oppressive force. Discrimination against number was a culture that had become life and blood of Britannia, a stance majority if not all of population adopted. What Suzaku was trying to do was a slap on Britannia's face. In the end Suzaku would be swallowed by the system he wanted to work with, he'd either break or change or dead or quasi combination of the three.

_'Like hell I will let Britannia to break Suzaku! I will never let that happen!' _

BANG! '

Lelouch was so absorbed by his thought and mindless shooting training that he didn't notice the very person he was concerned about was sitting ten feet behind him. Tojo accompanied Suzaku along with his fellow bodyguards, watching the Millefiore boss continue his training and ignored everything else.

Suzaku had woken up later than usual because of exhaustion, but he found his breakfast in dining room of Lelouch's apartment in HCLI HQ and a note of where he could find Lelouch. Apparently every morning from six to eight was morning training session on their basement training room. He was pleasantly surprised Tojo came to check on his condition and asked his former tutor to bring him to the basement.

He found Lelouch in the middle of his shooting training, and half an hour passed his friend seemed oblivious of his surrounding as he continued the training. Suzaku knew from what he had seen in Shinjuku Ghetto that Lelouch was good but not this good, had he joined military Lelouch would have gotten a marksmen badge and recruited by sniper corps. Lelouch was a good sharpshooter, and he had never seen anyone as skilled as Lelouch. Each shot was aimed at vital point and for some unexplainable reason or perhaps it's just Lelouch's way of training, the last ten shots had hit the same spot on the forehead and not missing even an inch.

Not to mention…

Lutz, one of Tojo's colleague had been swapping Lelouch's weapon every time Lelouch put it down to stretch his arms. Lelouch was either didn't notice or care not of his subordinate's little prank. There was a reason army used standardized weapon, because it's easier to get use to one particular type of weapon, to its weight, speed, maintanance and so on. But Lelouch could switch from semi automatic pistol like CZ 52 to sniper rifle to shotgun and to assault riffle with ease, he even barely look at the weapon even though by each swap by Lutz the weight and everything must have felt different.

Suzaku swallowed, "I didn't expect Lelouch could be this good, back when we're kids anything physical is something he avoid like a plague."

Tojo cleared his throat, "He has a strict teacher, and believe me before I thought Tohdoh was too strict with kids like you." Suzaku tensed when he heard of the name of his other tutor, his last encounter with Tohdoh had been a sad separation for them both. "Lelouch's teacher is extremely Spartan, and frankly… looking at his training it's a miracle he survive that guy."

Suzaku blinked at that, "Stricter than Tohdoh-sensei?" He was happy Tojo started a conversation with him, his former teacher had been strangely gloomy and tense since he brought Suzaku to the training room. Did he do something to make Tojo angry?

"Did Tohdoh shot you with machine gun to motivate you to go through obstacle course?" Tojo queried in deadpan tone.

It took a moment for Suzaku to process what machine gun plus obstacle course and imagined it with Lelouch as participant. "Was this teacher trying to kill Lelouch?!" He half-shouted in shock and hysteric, imagining his frail best friend going through that.

"He was." Tojo answered without hesitation, much to Suzaku's shock. "I never met him in person but from what I heard, the guy'd rather Lelouch die in his training rather than producing a weak fighter." Tojo snorted. "Not that Lelouch had an option to quit, it's die or live kind of situation."

"Your highness's teacher was a former member of special combat force called COMSUBIN." Lehm, a senior member of Koko's squad cleared his throat. He was in his forties and it surprised Suzaku that Lehm was a Britannian and a major before he retired to be part of HCLI. Which explained a lot why sometimes Lehm addressed Lelouch as your highness when the ex-prince was out of earshot. "It stands for Commando Raggruppamento Subacquei Ed Incursori Teseo Tesei. COMSUBIN's members are combat experts and are extremely skilled with traps and guns…" Lehm himself had met the rain arcobaleno once, he found the infant soldier an okay guy and thankful he never met the guy on battlefield before.

"Ragruppa what?" Suzaku stuttered.

"In English it would be Commands the Grouping of Divers, Raiders and Navals." Lehm noted that Suzaku didn't notice it was Italian, or wondered how an Italian would teach a Britannian prince. Then again the sour affair with Neo-Italy was kept in tight leash from lower strata of Britannian army.

Lutz grinned at that., "I heard he taught our boss how to manufacture explosives and firearms, use martial arts, survival skills, stealth techniques in invading enemy territories, how to deliver sarcasm politely, and assassination." Lutz was blond guy he met in Shinjuku Ghetto before. He introduced himself as part of a sniper and former member of anti-terrorist force from EU.

Suzaku tensed at the last part. "Assassination."

Tojo noticed Suzaku had went rigid, and he didn't fault him as Tojo himself thought his boss was the one who killed Clovis. Suzaku knew how much Lelouch hated his country, his father and their ideology and after what Clovis had done, Lelouch would take it upon himself to kill Clovis if not for the mist guardian of Vongola stopping him.

He sighed wearily, "It's not my secret to tell, but Kasper didn't give Britannia a false lead. Clovis was indeed killed by Leopold Acerbi who was still on the run."

Lehm nodded in agreement, "My loyalty is no longer with Britannia, but well… I know Prince Clovis was close with vi Britannia siblings and from what I see our boss is genuinely sad of his passing." He exhaled a ring of smoke. "Killing your family member is a sordid affair." Suzaku's breath hitched at that. "Our boss while sad doesn't look that wrecked as if he had done the deed himself."

Suzaku was about to respond but stopped when Lutz cut in, "Let's save the depressing topic for later! Now… which weapon should I give to Boss?" He wondered out loud at the wide array of firearms they had on the display. Then he turned to Valmet who was carrying two knifes, she was in the middle of training herself.

"Should someone stop him?" Suzaku queried when he saw Lutz snatched a pair of knife from unhappy Valmet and handed it to Lelouch who didn't even looking the assault riffle he used had been replaced with a pair of knife.

"Nah…" Tojo shrugged, "He is trouble seeker since day one, if he gets his salary this month cut he is on his own."

Lelouch did frown this time when instead of firearm his nimble finger found the hilt of a knife, Lelouch didn't say anything though as he threw the knife and it hit the wooden target with a loud smack instead of embedding the blade. Lutz had a nasty surprise when Lelouch turned and throw the second knife at him.

Suzaku jumped from his seat in shock while everyone else sat on their calmly chair as if Lutz was not in danger of dying. Before Suzaku could move the knife reached Lutz first but instead of killing Lutz the knife bounced on his forehead and left a red mark.

"Eh?" Suzaku blinked owlishly when the knife bounced off of Lutz's forehead. He carefully picked the knife from the ground and touched the blade gingerly only to find not a hard surface of steel but rubbery feeling and the blade bent at the slightest pressure. "It's… a rubber knife?"

Lutz moaned in pain, "Boss! That's hurt!"

"I believe a 30% cut for your salary this month hurt even more." Lelouch muttered as he placed his earphone on the nearest table. "And Lehm…" Lelouch turned to the most senior member of Koko's squad. "It's 5% cut for every single your highness from your mouth." Lelouch said, glowering at Lehm who took a step back with sheepish look on his face. Lelouch knew Lehm didn't mean anything bad with the honorific, Lehm had been an acquaintance of his mother in Gulf war after all. It's hard to accept spunky Marianne's boy had discarded his imperial name, according to Lehm.

He was not helping either with his regal disposition, something he couldn't discard even if he masquerading as a civilian. He had been raised as a royalty, and his mother had been strict because she didn't want her Lelouch to be teased for not being royal enough, or so she said jokingly.

"Harsh, Boss!" Lehm said in exaggerated gloom.

"Your 5% is tiny in comparison to my 30%!" Lutz wailed helplessly. "Bye bye rolex watch I've been after for months… bye bye dates…" He sobbed as he waved his handkerchief to his imagination, hearts and watch with wings flying away.

Suzaku wondered if Lutz had been missing a screw or two, but quickly shove away that offensive thought and turned to his old friend. "Lelouch."

Lelouch craned his neck to Suzaku's direction, "Yes?"

Suzaku noticed all eyes were on him now, so he quickly recall their private signal. He placed his right fist under his chin. "Uhm…" Then discreetly tugged the right sleeve of his jacket with his left hand.

_Can we talk in private now? _

Lelouch was about to reply but before his hand could move Tojo had placed his hand on Suzaku's left shoulder, and the Japanese boy jumped in shock. "I am sorry to interrupt the secret signal." Tojo had undoubtedly guessing that since Suzaku had been so stiff and awkward when he signaled Lelouch. Or perhaps heard from Tohdoh that he and Suzaku had secret signals. "But may I speak with Suzaku-kun for a while?" Looking at the iron grip on Suzaku's shoulder, Tojo only needed Lelouch's permission not Suzaku's.

"Suzaku?" Lelouch looked at him in a silent query whether it was okay to let his former teacher to talk to him first. He nodded curtly, since regardless of his position and status both Tohdoh and Tojo were his teachers. They deserved his respect no matter what.

Lelouch smiled at that then tucked his hair behind his ear, it was a signal. _'Let's talk later.'_

* * *

**Neo-Italy, Cosa Nostra Council HQ **

Tsuna came striding down the soft carpet that covered the corridor of Cosa Nostra HQ. It's been a while since he visited the HQ and frankly he didn't really miss seeing the council. It was fortunate he had tight schedule nowadays, so not even the council could demand him to give them time more than what allotted by Reborn.

Unless of course they wanted to complain to Reborn, and no one in Neo-Italy but Nonno could compromise with Reborn. Fortunately Nonno was on his side, and Nonno knew how important 'Project Re' to them. It was their life project, and he won't let Cosa Nostra council to stop them because they feared changes. All they wished is to preserve the present, the prospering and isolated Neo-Italy.

He, Lelouch and Uni seek the brighter future for the next generation. They're not so naïve to think that Neo-Italy would keep prospering in their isolation.

"It won't last… this peace in miniature world Cosa Nostra created." A haunting voice said, stopping the Vongola boss one step away from the exit door.

Tsuna narrowed his eyes at the checkered masked figure. "Checker face…"

The figure shifted, cloaked in indigo mist and as it dispersed a white haired man donning a plain green kimono appeared. "Call me Kawahira-ojiisan!" He chirped, only to be greeted by a hand grabbing his face and shoved the back of his head to the nearest wall. "That's hurt Tsunayoshi-kun, but I guess it's part of a greeting Reborn taught you in regards to me."

Tsuna released his hold reluctantly, but he of all people knew holding Kawahira down was not going to stop the immortal man from escaping. "It is, and I'm more comfortable addressing you as Checker-Face rather than that fake Japanese name you took." He scoffed, "And ojii-san? Really Checker-Face, I am sure someone who have forgotten the number of digit of his own age could be called ojii-san?" He wondered in incredulous tone.

The black eyed man snorted, "Smart mouth, courtesy of Sun arcobaleno." Kawahira rolled his eyes as he shook off the remains of wall chunk from his head. "By the way, I heard Lelouch caught one of my people?"

The Vongola boss narrowed his eyes, as usual the immortal had hell ears. "We believe the one under Lelouch's custody is code C.C " There's no point holding back information from Checker Face. "She had an appearance of a fair young woman, lime green hair, light yellow eyes… " He added as he stepped out of the building, followed by Kawahira.

The immortal beamed at that, "Oooh! I believe she is B.B's successor! I met that girl once before, when was it again?" He wondered out loud when he met B.B, the immortal who disguised herself as a nun before she perished. "I recall that girl had an interesting geass… to be loved I think?! It's a havoc I tell ya~ when her geass run wild ha ha ha!"

Tsuna narrowed his eyes, wondering why he gave information of C.C so freely or perhaps he didn't care."Don't bother remembering." Tsuna snapped, "You could be careless of what lesser Code become as long as they didn't threaten the balance of Trinisette."

"True." The code origin answered without shame. "There's a reason why they discard their name and give themselves name code."

Tsuna snorted, "Unlike you who forgot your name and couldn't bother to make up a name code for yourself… " The name Checker-face was the same as naming a dog as Inu, what it was rather than a name. As for Kawahira… it was the name of a dead man he borrowed his appearance from.

It was a curse of immortality, however to this immortal man it was just the way he was because he was born with it. To the lesser code like C.C however…

"What're you going to do with her?" The immortal asked curiously.

Tsuna narrowed his eyes, "Actually since you're here, I'd like to know what will you do?" He asked back. "To be honest we deem it unwise to let a code run free." Especially the intelligence they had gathered over the years implied Code and Geass had been controlling Britannia in the shadow for years, just like Mafia was in Italy.

Kawahira shrugged at that, as expected as long as it won't endanger the balance of Trinisette the immortal man won't give a flying fuck. "Do as you see fit."

"Of course." Tsuna drawled loftily, "Is that all?"

Kawahira raised a forefinger, "One more thing, about Lelouch vi Britannia…"

"Millefiore." Tsuna corrected with a hiss. "The boss of Millefiore is Lelouch Millefiore, you can call him with his civilian name Lamperouge if you want but vi Britannia is a name he has discarded."

"I could be careless." He shrugged nonchalantly, much to Tsuna's ire. "At any rate he has not choose his knights, I'm getting impatient and sooner or later it will affect the balance."

Tsuna's eyes flashed in anger, "Not you too! I have enough of people pushing him around for this matter! YOU of all people should know, we couldn't just pick random person off of a street! They're going to be part of our sky, comrades we trust with our life and burden!"

"Yes, and I also know eligible candidates will gather around him… drawn by his sky flame." Kawahira intoned, "The only thing on the way is that boy's hesitation to share his burden, remind him of his duty, Tsunayoshi… we can't have him hesitating forever and also…" He trailed off as he began to walk away, his feet had begun to disperse to mist.

"Also?" Tsuna echoed.

"Before the day of rebirth this year, he'd better have a complete set of knights." He warned Tsuna coolly, sending shiver to the Vongola boss's spine. "The time of Refilling is approaching, and I will hate to see any of Trinisette holder died to fill the absence of Mare holders."

That was a threat, and a real one.

Tsuna gritted his teeth, "I am understand."

"Good." And with that the immortal man dispersed to mist, and his last word echoed like a bell.

He clenched his fist, _'Sorry Lelouch, but I can't protect you from this… ' _He looked up to the sky. _'I hope Checker-face is right that eligible candidate would gather around you Lelouch, if not… I don't even want to imagine the consequence." _

"Tsuna."

The Vongola boss turned around calmly to face his mentor, his expression was still tense from the encounter. "Reborn."

"You met that bastard." Reborn growled in ire, "What did he want now?"

Tsuna sighed, "Nothing pleasant." He answered vaguely as he picked up his phone and dialed 80. "Hello, Takeshi." He greeted his rain, who picked up the phone at the second ring.

_"I'm sure you know, Mukuro hasn't come back yet. I'm getting bored all alone without a thing to do!" _He whined.

"Yes, I know Mukuro has not come back yet. I extend his stay with Lelouch for an errand and I have something for you to do." He didn't like Takeshi going there, as of all guardians of his Yamamoto was pure Japanese unlike others who had mixed heritage and could be passed as European descend like he or Hayato, or Chinese like Hibari. Unfortunately Yamamoto was the only one available for the job.

_"Yay! A mission!" _Takeshi cheered, _"What do I need to do?" _

"I want you to guard Lelouch for a while." Tsuna recalled the gathering period, in which eligible candidates came to the sky always bound to be a rough affair. He had a feeling it would be the same case for Lelouch, and Checker face had implied Lelouch was drawing them now. The problem was Lelouch was in hostile territory so better be safe than sorry.

"Pick some disguise." Reborn suggested from the sidelines.

"Pick up some disguise if you need it." Tsuna repeated Reborn. "I am not going to let my guardian harassed for racism Takeshi." He cut off Takeshi's protest about hiding his Japanese look. "Lelouch lives in Tokyo settlement and while we can fake a honorary britannian pass it's not going to help you much. You will leave in one hour."

Takeshi frowned, _"As you wish, il mio Cielo.' _

"With Colonello." Reborn once again added from the sideline, a Leon-phone on his hand.

"With Colonello." Tsuna repeated absentmindedly.

_"Colonello?" _Takeshi's voice was incredulous,_ "Oh okay, sure…" _

When the line ended Tsuna just realized what the last line he just said to Takeshi. "Did you just make Colonello hitching a ride on my rain?!"

"Yes." Reborn grinned, "Do you want to complain?"

Tsuna slapped his palm against his forehead, "I don't have any strength left to do that... I just hope Lelouch will appreciate Colonello's presence." He sighed tiredly, "I need to inform Lelouch of our latest predicament face to face." Through computer screen so Lelouch could see he was as unhappy as Lelouch was, and expressed how much he wished to wring Kawahira's neck. "And visiting Uni and Nunnally… if I'm lucky I can catch them in the middle of their music lesson." So he can relax as listening them playing music, that would be one good thing he could get for this one crappy day.

* * *

**Area 11, HCLI's HQ **

Suzaku swallowed as Tojo led him to a dojo looking room, it was strange as Lelouch's quarter had been European in style and he had this Japanese styled room inside. He sniffed the air, the scent of bamboo and incense and not to mention he could almost swore that he smelt sulfur. Lelouch had an onsen somewhere nearby.

He knew Lelouch was rich, but this was a little crazy. He couldn't help but thought when he looked to the right to see an authentic Japanese garden. It was as if a chunk of old Japan was placed inside the HQ.

"Suzaku-kun, sit." As a child he was always obedient, thus the moment Tojo ordered him Suzaku had folded his leg and sit on the tatami mat on instinct. He was prepared for a lecture as it seemed that was what Tojo had in mind but not the rolled up magazine smacked upside his head.

"Sensei?!" He stuttered.

Tojo took a deep breath, "Suzaku-kun, I failed you."

"I am sorry sensei that I…" Suzaku stopped, realizing it's not him failing his teacher but the other way around that Tojo said. "What?!"

"I should have stayed!" Tojo looked down in regret, sobbing as his right hand wiped his tears. "And perhaps Tohdoh won't fill your head with bushido mumbo jumbo without some logic and common sense thrown somewhere with it!" He wailed, "I should have known that back then you're such a compliant child!"

Suzaku stared in disbelief at his teacher, wondering how Tojo could come to such conclusion. "Sensei… did you just imply I have no logic and common sense?" And you feel guilty for that?!"

"Yes!"

He had been called slow, naïve, idiot by Lelouch and other people but lacking in common sense department? No, no one had told him that before. That was beyond idiot for sure.

"But… but…" Suzaku stuttered.

Tojo slammed a stack of books in front of him and Suzaku jumped in shock. "I don't care you're in army or wherever but I am not going to let you out before you learn logic and common sense!" He said as he patted the top of the stack. "You will learn everything by heart."

Suzaku stared at the books in disbelieve, "It's higher than I am when I sit, sensei." He pointed out. "I don't think I can finish this before this day end." Tomorrow he had to go back to his barrack.

"It's a good thing you have a week off then." Tojo was unmoving from his current goal: fix whatever is wrong with Suzaku.

Suzaku could only whimper as Tojo open the first book and began to explain how to exercise sound and prudent judgment based on a simple perception of the situation or facts. Whatever it was, Suzaku believed he lost Tojo after the prudent part.

* * *

**LAB 03 **

C.C wondered why since Marianne's boy captured her nothing happened to her. Nothing happened as Lelouch vi Britannia just placed her in this prison. A nice prison it was, it had bed, TV and assigned a weird woman who introduced herself (through a TV, how wise of them to not come in direct contact with her) as Amada Minami.

Amada Minami was a scientist and yet she didn't try to experiment on C.C at all. She was just sitting and observing her, some times Minami asked what she wanted to eat. She always answered she wanted pizza, and much to C.C's delight they really gave her pizzas.

Another thing C.C figured out from Minami was the woman was a genius robot scientist, and once in a while a couple of butterfly robot was flying around her. Minami also had a twisted look on humanity. She could be careless of what happened to human race, as according to Minami human was not in danger of extinction like some species of butterfly were. She was one unusual human for sure.

C.C admitted Minami was not a boring companion, but the one she wanted was Marianne's boy. He had a promising potential as her next contractor, a drive for revenge and goal to achieve that would nurture geass well.

However there was something strange when he sensed the boy, there was some sort of strong connection with the world of C or rather some sort of scent of that world clung strongly in him. She'd sense it if he was a geass user, it didn't make sense as the boy didn't have it and yet he carried the scent.

"No Professor, I can't give you permission to go to the middle of nowhere to hunt butterflies." A deep voice said from outside of her glass prison. "It's not safe and I think you can't trust news from the net so easily."

A whine she knew so well responded, "But it's Professor James! He has spoken that the rare swallowtail species must have populated somewhere in Angus!" CC watched Minami pulled her laptop out and shoved a picture of Britannian man to him, "Fine, we can't believe in internet, but believe in Professor James."

"Who?!" Was the only eloquent respond Marianne's boy could make at the statement Minami just made.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

While she appreciated the comedy, she believed the boy came to visit her and not to humor Minami's antic. "Ooooi, boy come over here. We need to talk."

Lelouch raised an eyebrow at that then turned to Minami again, "So what have you observe from her?"

"I am a robot specialist so I'm not qualified to make observation on a breathing things like her." Minami gestured to C.C, who raised an eyebrow at Minami who describe her as a breathing thing. "But as you said, you didn't need professional standard report so all I can say is that she got sense of humor, selfish, smart mouth and obsessed with Pizza." Then she added in a whisper, "It's a good thing Pizza hut is a Britannian food chain, if not there would be a shortage of pizza since isolation of Neo-Italy." She cleared her throat, "It's just a guess but it seems pizza is like a drug to her as she gobbled it up as if she has went through a long withdrawal from it."

Lelouch rolled his eyes, "Strangely only the pizza part sounds like scientific observation."

"Then observe her by yourself Boss." Minami huffed, "I am going to finish my toy, when you want to launch our pet robot again?"

"When you ask?!" Lelouch asked in incredulous tone, "We're launching next week Professor."

Minami paled at that, "I… haven't complete the behavior program yet…"

"Minami! Get that done! Now!" Minami saluted before she ran as fast as she could to her lab, which was just next door from LAB 03.

He knew it was stupid to buy Marchen too, but he wanted Minami's full loyalty and forced to but the toy factory. Fortunately its profit was good, and Nunnally was so happy when she heard about it. No point regretting something that bring profit, he had better thing to concern about.

"Oi." C.C called again impatiently.

Lelouch shrugged as he strolled to the prison until he stood right in front C.C but separated by a layer of glass. "I hope you enjoyed your stay in our humble abode." At the glare he received, he added. "Or not."

"I would like to speak with you without this thing." She knocked the glass impatiently, "Between us." If she couldn't touch him there's no point talking, as she need direct contact to make the contract.

The purple-eyed Britannian raised an eyebrow and then turned to the device in the left corner of the room and dialed a password. The glass sliding door slid open and Lelouch entered the prison, cringing at the smell of cheese. "I have to say you should ask Minami to air the room."

"Don't care." C.C murmured as she approached Lelouch. "It smells fine to me but more importantly I have an offer to you, a power to reach your goal…" His revenge, the greatest temptation.

Lelouch raised his hand, "I'm not interested." He said firmly, dodging C.C's reaching hand.

C.C's eyes widened in shock, she didn't expect to be rejected so easily like this. "The power I am offering you…" She trailed off.

"I don't want your contract, code C.C." Lelouch refused again, startling the immortal woman. "I have no intention to possess a geass."

"You know…" C.C murmured, narrowing her eyes at the boy before her. "I didn't expect that, however… I am sure the moment of need of power of the king will arise and you…" Will accept her contract.

Lelouch shook his head, "I don't want it, and I never will." He titled his head to the side. "And nothing you say will change my mind."

It seemed unless he was in life and death situation there's no way to change his mind. C.C narrowed her eyes in displeasure, "Oh really?" She challenged. "Then I will follow you around and see if you really didn't need the power I so generously offer to you."

"That's out of question too." Lelouch replied promptly. "I can't have you following me around… and I repeat, I don't want it, I don't need it…"

This boy was impossible, he didn't even give her a chance at all. How frustrating, now even his mother gave her this much trouble! There's no hesitation at all in him when he refused his offer, how could that be?

If this boy won't accept the contract, then he was no use to her. "In that case let me out of here." She demanded haughtily.

Lelouch wondered if all Code behaved as if they're the king of the world because of their immortality, truly it was a curse in that case. Then again C.C was just another Checker-face, only not going away anytime soon and perhaps less headache-inducing hopefully. It surprised him that she wanted him as a contractor, he was one albeit a different kind of contract.

"I am afraid I can't let you go, we've decided to keep you here." Lelouch explained loftily, we he meant of course his fellow sky. "And believe me, it's harder to escape from us." Especially since they had put a chip on her when she was temporarily dead when Lutz carried her from Shinjuku Ghetto.

C.C smirked, "Is that a challenge?"

Lelouch resisted an urge to roll his eyes, "No, it is not." He refuted in a heartbeat. "Now, I have a question." He rummaged his jacket pocket and fished out three photos. "Have you met this man or this man or this boy before?"

The code narrowed her yes, one of the photo was V.V. It was not the best photo of him though as the young looking code was looking elsewhere but that short stature with long blond hair was unmistakable. She didn't say anything however as the boy didn't give her what she wanted so it's fair she won't give the same. Her eyes narrowed at the last two pictures, a man with iron heat and a white haired Japanese man with black eyes.

"No." She lied. "I have never met this boy." She lied smoothly, "The same for the other two, but who knows I have but forgot as I have lived for so long." The iron hat man made her cold heart ache, she didn't remember it well but long ago she had seen the flashily dressed man talking with her predecessor. It's been so long that she shouldn't be able to remember it, but the nun met this man just a day before she took the nun's code.

Lelouch smiled as he noticed her eyes stayed the longest at Checker-face, which mean she had seen him before but didn't know him. She knew the long haired boy which was why her eyes skim over his photo, she didn't know Kawahira at all or rather never met him in this look as her eyes stay a little longer than when it's on the boy before returned back to Checker face.

"Is that all boy? Will you let me out for answering your question?" The sarcasm was there, she had not answered a thing with her mouth. Her body language did however…

He was not Tsuna but he was good enough to pick up these subtle hints. "I see… thank your undoubtedly you have forgotten more than I learn in the short span of my life… and no, we can't let you go." Colonello always said if Lelouch was still in abysmal by COMSUBIN standard when it comes to martial art, he was a master who has surpassed even Colonello when it comes to delivering sarcasm. What he said just now was not polite, but he managed to insult and compliment C.C in one breath.

C.C glared at Marianne's boy, not even his mother was this infuriating! "Boy… don't test my patience, you refuse my contract, interrogate, insult me and refuse to let me go." She drawled, her tone was calm but there was unmistakable anger in it.

Lesser man would have melt under the heat of her glare, but to Lelouch it was mild in comparison of Reborn's. "Have you pay attention to what I said? _We_ can't let you not _I_ can't let you go, I don't have authority to decide your fate myself." Not without Uni and Tsuna had any say about it, but of course he had no intention to let C.C run free. C.C according to their intelligence had spent an abnormally long time in Britannia territory. She might be an ally of theirs or used to be. As he said, they can't let her go. She was dangerous.

"In that case." She reached out and grabbed his left arm roughly, "I will make way out myself." She hissed with stoic face, and she let the power of her code washed through. She watched as Lelouch's purple eyes went wide in shock, the boy hunched over but didn't fall like she expected him to. A few moments later she was sure they boy was recalling the most horrible moment in his life, probably Marianne's death and his banishment or perhaps walking through carnage of invasion from seven years ago. She promised Marianne to watch over her kids, but she had no obligation since Marianne revoke their contract and this boy refused.

She slowly withdrew her hand and then stepped aside to get out of the prison, but before she could step pass him, Lelouch grabbed her hand and twisted it to her back much to her shock. "You! How could you?!"

There was no horror on his face; it was a perfect mask of calmness and slight amusement dancing on his eyes at her shock. C.C rarely shocked by anything, so her shocked expression must be quite a sight. "How could I stay unperturbed after you show me so many unpleasant flashback?" He finished her sentence. "It's disturbing I admit." She looked at his eyes and swore for a moment the color lightened and simmering like flame.

"But it's nothing but minor annoyance compared to what I've been through." What he had been through as the holder of Mare, the ring that granted power to see alternate world. It's like watching your life millions times over, and he almost lost his sanity in the process but he managed to pass the test. What C.C showed him was nothing in comparison.

"But how?" There's not a single person stayed composed after touched by her code, especially not someone like Lelouch vi Britannia who had seen carnage when he was young.

He snorted before he threw her to the bed and air knocked out of her lung, "C.C it would be wise to cooperate with us…" He said before he left the prison. "And trust me, escaping is the least of your priority. Your cooperation would be rewarded and perhaps we will let you to move around under surveillance… good day." And with that he was gone.

Not one person, it's always us and we. He was one of a group who decided to prison her here. They didn't want her contract, or experimenting on her so why did they keep her here? What use they have of her?

She flopped herself over and stared at the boring white ceiling, contemplating her next move.

* * *

**Tokyo Settlement, Gargole Manor **

Jeremiah wondered if God hated him, since the moment he reached Gargoyle Manor the widow, Duchess Gargoyle had spilled her grieve and what else to reporters. She even had the gall to curse Purist Faction to waste time on Kururugi instead of going after her husband and Prince Clovis' murderer.

In the end he was forced to make a formal and public apology in National broadcast. It was downright embarrassing, and his faction had lost all support they had from nobles in a matter of days. Gaining support and reputation took years but for it to crumble could take only a blink of an eye.

At this rate it's only a matter of time that his faction, especially him, they had to face punishment. Whoever took the office of next Vireroy, which probably one of imperial children will punish them for incompetence. But until then he will do everything he could to capture Leopold Acerbi.

Or he will die trying.

* * *

**Believe it or not I almost forgot C.C exist in this story...  
**


	8. Chapter 8

**I am so ashamed to admit my lack of research. Apparently Millefiore is not the name of flower in Italian but the name of glasswork type, which have distinct flower pattern. It comes from Mille (Thousands) and Fiori (Flower)  
It's fitting though~ So I will change the part about it mentioned as name of flower later…**

**ps: Even though I have not mixed up Tojo with Tohdoh, I have a feeling I will.**

* * *

**Chapter 8: The Spiraling Truth **

When Tojo informed him that Suzaku's lesson was over for today, Lelouch didn't expect to find his oldest friend in such a sorry state. If one wants to describe Kururugi Suzaku's expression, it would be someone who had just went through mind-fuck thoroughly. Suzaku had this lifeless look on his face as he slumped on the chabudai (Japanese short table) with his arms folded above his book and used as pillow. Lelouch reached out and pulled the book from under Suzaku's arm, looking at the title 'Theory of Logic' it was no wonder. Suzaku learned things better with his body not his brain.

That of course didn't mean Suzaku was stupid, any children surrounded by politician and military officers since the earliest of their childhood like Suzaku bound to pick up some things. When they met in Kururugi Shrine back then, Suzaku was hostile to them because he was aware of the tense relationship between Japan and Britannia although at that time his political view was pretty biased. Suzaku in Lelouch's opinion had formidable mind, which geared towards his martial arts talent. There was a good reason why Tohdoh devoted his time teaching Suzaku more than what required of him, Suzaku was one in a million diamond in the rough.

Not that talent helped him in learning these logic and common sense theory.

"Post hoc ergo propter hoc…" Suzaku recited in a daze, "It's raining, the laundry is wet… I don't get it, why that statement could be wrong by logic?" He wondered out loud.

Lelouch decided to take pity on him and explained, "Because there's no specific stating the laundry was outside when the it's raining so it could be wet after it's washed, and while it's raining before the laundry become wet, once again no specific time so it could be raining three days before the laundry become wet and that sentence still applied to that condition, it's raining before the laundry become wet."

Suzaku rose and stared at him as if boring hole to his head, "That make sense, but my head still hurts learning this thing…"

"I suppose." Lelouch smirked, slamming the book close and placed it on the pile. "You're never good at learning this kind of things." Suzaku scoffed at that, "The purpose of learning this more or less is giving you wider perspective, such as not jumping to conclusion that A happen because B happened before A like the example used for _Post hoc ergo propter hoc_ you read." Lelouch sat on the vacated zambuton Tojo left, then continued. "It's useful to people who want freedom of mind in sheltered society of Britannia, there's a reason why these books are banned in Areas."

Suzaku's eyes widened at that. What these books were banned for?

Lelouch as if reading his mind, answered his unasked question. "Because Britannia couldn't tolerate people questioning its ideology of course." Lelouch said in wry tone. "Men are not born equal then why most of us were born with the same set of limbs, senses, brain? Why don't we try give number the same opportunities and education and see if they would come out inferior still to Britannian to prove it? Only the strong survive? Then why in their society weaker nobles have more leeway in army rather than stronger commoner?"

The brunette became very still as Lelouch pointed out every flaw in Britannia's ideology. There was a part of him that couldn't help but agree, and small warring parts felt pleased and sickened. Even thought he wanted to work with the system Britannia had set up, he was still an Eleven they branded as subhuman and subjugated. There's no way he didn't feel resentment at all to Britannia.

"The topic of Britannia's policy and single mindedness of its society aside." Lelouch voice turned cold, "Why did you come back to Shinjuku Ghetto? On Lancelot no less?"

Suzaku would have asked how Lelouch know of Lancelot and that he was the pilot but he had more pressing concern about his come back. "I was trying to help you, and also I can't sit idly by! The fight had to stop before more blood was spilled!" He answered with conviction.

Lelouch groaned, "Help me do what? Evacuating the Japanese? We're almost done when you arrived with Lancelot, _thanks _for coming I guess." Lelouch didn't have a heart to use sarcastic tone as Suzaku meant well with coming. "But still… I went as far as shooting you on the leg so you have legitimate reason to say in bed and you came back! You idiot!" He shouted in ire.

As Lelouch began to shout Suzaku took that as cue to shout back. "What's wrong with trying to help! I piloted Lancelot just fine!"

"I could see that!" He spat, Lancelot almost ruined everything he worked so hard for in Shinjuku Ghetto. "You're on the wrong side unfortunately."

"Huh?"

He knew Suzaku would feel guilty after this, but that's better than letting Suzaku ignorant. Whether or not Suzaku would become his knight, he couldn't let Suzaku fooled by his own naivety and Britannia. "Suzaku." He began, "Why do you think those resistant group fighters stayed in a Ghetto under siege of Britannian army? Strategically speaking it's unwise, they went so far to steal that capsule to protect their people and what's the point if they got the Japanese killed in the process?"

Suzaku became quiet, he had no answer to that. He had to admit it's strange. They had plenty of time to escape but why bother risking their life and then proceed to strategic retreat. If they had done it sooner, won't there be less blood spilled? Lelouch was right, if they're devoted to Japanese like their deceased comrade Nakata Issei they'd make themselves scarce or better be a bait and draw Britannia army's attention to them instead. That's what someone as loyal as Tohdoh-sensei would have done. But from what he gathered, they fought valiantly with heavy civilian casualties. That didn't fit.

"It didn't make sense, ne?" Lelouch drawled with a scoff, drawing him from his thought. "Of course not, they stayed to defend their people Suzaku. I have seen it myself, they fought with minimal firearms they had plus a one armed Glasgow against knightmares, airforce and heavily armed corps. They're prepared to die for their people, which was why I asked their assistance."

That stopped Suzaku on his track, "Wait!" Suzaku raised his hand in halting gesture, "What do you mean defending their people?"

Lelouch swallowed, "Suzaku… Britannian army is in the process of slaughtering Japanese population in Shinjuku Ghetto to get that capsule back, it's not about retrieving that thing anymore but including wiping out all witnesses in vicinity."

"What?!" Suzaku gaped in shock. "Wait… they didn't have to do that just for…"

"They did anyway!" Lelouch said in disgust. "You want to see the footage HCLI get from our satellite? The reason I knock you out is because you will throw yourself on your supposed comrades to stop them from killing civilian!" Suzaku couldn't refute he would have done that so he clamped his mouth shut, and judging from Lelouch's face it seemed his silence was equal as admitting he would. "Then I am not going to say sorry for that!" He scowled.

"…"

Lelouch sighed then continued his explanation, "Since I have tell you this much I might as well spill everything, I also ordered Tojo to make fake official request for knightmare supplies from Britannian inventory."

"So that's how they got their hands on Shutterland." Suzaku narrowed his eyes at Lelouch. "Am I right to assume it's you who took command of them? They're resistant group not an army so even if they have that Glasgow I doubt their piloting skill is that good, it's their strategy and tactics that overwhelmed Britannian army and I can't think of anyone but YOU, who know Britannia and have strategic skill that could turn 1 to 5 odd battle on their favor."

Lelouch shrugged, "I am flattered, but correction, there're at least five people on top of my head who are as good, close, or better than me." He paused, "But yes, it's me who command them… I think I did pretty good for my first direct battle with Britannia." He couldn't help but added.

Suzaku snapped, "You blew up buildings!" Suzaku roared in anger. "What if there're Japanese hiding inside?!

"Empty and broken buildings!" Lelouch looked appalled and very offended, and Suzaku had an inkling Lelouch was going to blow up and he did. "Who do you think I am? I ordered Wiley and his squad to scan the building thoroughly before we blew it up! I did all that so I can evacuate as many as Japanese as I can, I blew up buildings but I didn't check if it's occupied or not?!" He asked in incredulous tone.

Suzaku flushed a deep red, of course Lelouch won't be that careless if he had resource to ensure that. "Sorry."

"Never mind… your concern is valid." He waved it off, "Has it been anyone less skilled than Wiley and his squad there would be casualties as you said."

Lelouch sighed wearily, it's not like he could blame Suzaku for thinking he was overboard with blowing buildings up. It's not like he had better option with the odds, all they had against Britannia was they're undetected and home ground advantage. The reason he could avoid civilian casualties was because he had resource and assets to ensure that, if he had nothing but strategy and the resistant group it would have been unavoidable. There's no point mulling over what if, judging from Suzaku's hesitance there was something else on his mind.

"Lelouch." Suzaku began hesitantly. "I…" How to put it to words? He couldn't just ask, did you order someone to kill your half-brother?

The ex-prince clenched his fist, here comes the dreaded. "Am I right to assume that you want to ask the circumstances of Clovis' death?"

Lelouch's voice snapped him from his thought, and he looked at his friend in shock. He was not surprised Lelouch could guess what he wanted to talk about, but the tone of voice Lelouch used when he said his deceased brother's name was nothing like exasperated tone he used in Shinjuku Ghetto, there was anger in his voice.

Suzaku swallowed and braced himself to ask, knowing Lelouch would mouth him off for it. "Lelouch…" He looked straight at Lelouch's amethyst eyes. "You didn't kill Prince Clovis, tell me you did not."

_Tell me I can believe you have not killed your own brother like I did my father. _

"No, I did not." Suzaku released the breath he didn't know how long he was holding. "But I _was_ about to do it."

The soldier went rigid at that, "What?!"

"I would have done it if not for someone stopping me and Leopold Acerbi did the deed." Lelouch said with the same equal blunt honesty he used when declaring he swore to obliterate Britannia years ago.

"Lelouch!" Suzaku was scandalized to hear that Lelouch almost did the same mistake he did. "He is your brother…" He hissed.

Lelouch's face twisted in fury at that, "He _was, _Clovis who taught me and Nunnaly how to paint, appreciate art, throwing hissy fit whenever I beat him in chess _was _my brother! But the monster Clovis la Britannia, the viceroy of Area 11 who ordered his soldiers to kill thousands of Japanese to recover that _poison gas_ was no brother of mine!" He spat bitterly.

Suzaku's eyes widened in shock, this time his shock was tenfold. His mind almost went haywire when he heard that Clovis was the one who responsible to massive casualties in Shinjuku Ghetto. "He did what?!" Shouldn't the casualties result from the ongoing battle and not on Prince Clovis' order?

Lelouch fished out his phone, "I know I will have to explain it to you so I saved this in my phone, it's from spying device HCLI planted in G1, and I swore in my honor and my mother's grave this is not fabricated." He drawled in solemn tone before he played the recording.

**"At this rate I will be forced to abdicate… it can't be helped!  
In the name of Clovis La Britannia, I order destruction of Shinjuku Ghetto!  
All Elevens in this ghetto shall be sentenced to death!"**

Small traitorous part in his mind almost thought this was a hoax but Lelouch went as far as swearing in his honor and his mother's grave. Lelouch was a liar but he won't lie to sully his honor and mother. Clovis la Britannia really ordered destruction of Shinjuku Ghetto, all of that over poison gas, which was actually a girl. So at that time Lelouch was…

* * *

_Flashback  
"What did Clovis do this time?" Hearing the name of Viceroy from Lelouch made Suzaku curious, Clovis was Lelouch's half-brother and judging from the way he spoke his name it seemed Lelouch didn't hate Clovis just… exasperated. Suzaku was almost worried that Lelouch hate all of his family members except Nunnally, but it seemed his fear was unfounded._

_Suddenly Lelouch's eyes went wide and his voice became frantic"Koko… what's going on and why did he order such thing?"_

_Whatever he was listening made Lelouch lost his composure and he ordered his men to evacuate Japanese out of Shinjuku Ghetto and warned them to avoid confrontation with the army. Suzaku was confused but Lelouch brushed him off when he asked. _

_"He is no brother of mine!"  
End of Flashback_

* * *

That was Lelouch said that time, a sudden 180 degrees turn from exasperation he exuded before in regards to his half-brother. Now it made sense. From what Lelouch said, he was pretty close to Clovis and then he heard that beloved brother ordered massacre with the same voice he used to ask his people to mourn their lost. Suzaku couldn't imagine the fury Lelouch felt at that time, that once again his family betrayed his trust.

"He was scared he would be disowned if someone finds out about that girl, Suzaku…" Lelouch hissed, this time it was not anger in his voice but something Suzaku thought would never heard in Lelouch's voice. It was shame, mixed with regret and sadness. "How could he justify killing so many innocent people?! They just happen to live there! In the wrong place in the wrong time!"

"Lelouch… Even so there was better way to solve this, I mean… he didn't have to die like that!"

Lelouch narrowed his eyes, "The way he died was not within my control, as much as I hate the monster he has become I would have given him a quick and painless death! And what better way? There's no other way Suzaku!" His lips twisted to a snarl.

"Why do you think he allow Lancelot on the field? To rescue his soldiers?!" Suzaku was about to say yes but Lelouch cut him off, "As if! He would have sent you before I obliterate all his knightmare corps if that's the case! I know him Suzaku, he sent Lancelot to save his face!" Lelouch gritted out. "Lancelot was developed here because of better supplies of Sakuradite, but ASEEC and Lancelot belongs to Schenizel. He'd rather owe Schneizel rather than losing to mere Elevens!"

He took a deep breath, "If I let him be, he won't let his lost lying down! He'd be crueler to Japanese just to spite on them! Or you think we can try to make him face a trial for his cruelty? No one was going to punish Clovis for killing numbers, Suzaku! He is a prince! He could waltz in to the Ghetto and shot all Japanese he wanted as a sport and no one in Britannia would even call that a murder in his part!"

Suzaku clamped his mouth shut, he had nothing to say when Lelouch of all people told him as any imperial children was entitled to those rights and no one could say other wise aside from the emperor himself and perhaps his knights or Round if Charles zi Britannia gave them the authority.

"The moment I heard he order his men to slaughter the Japanese, I am prepared to kill him to stop that madness." Lelouch stated with conviction.

"But you asked him to order a ceasefire right? Lelouch?!" Suzaku shot back, "Surely you can make him see sense?" He pleaded.

Apparently Suzaku was sharp enough to piece it together that ceasefire order was not Clovis' generosity. However Lelouch was not sure Suzaku saw bigger picture yet. "I threaten him to do it." He corrected, "And what make you think I can make him see sense?" He asked in incredulous tone, "When I hold him at gunpoint I asked why he did it." At Suzaku's confused face Lelouch explained. "I know why he did it, but small part of me still hoping that… Clovis who got close with me and Nunnally against his mother's order and never care our mother was commoner born was still there! I foolishly hoped that!"

"Lelouch…"

"He told me that he had to! Because he would have been forced to abdicate if someone find out about that capsule! It's fine to sacrifice those innocent Japanese because no one would have cared!" Lelouch hissed in fury, sadness and shame. "Even though we tried our best, there are hundreds… thousands of Japanese died just for living there! And Clovis didn't care! He dare to say that to me." He placed his hand on his chest. "I who throw away that right he wanted to keep in exchange of thousands life, he dared to tell me those innocent peoples worth nothing compared to his claim to the throne… tell me Suzaku, how can I forgive him?! Can you blame me that I wanted to pull the trigger and took his life?! When I know no one in Britannia would bring him to justice?!"

His friend seemed like he was about to cry even though not a single tear escaped his eyes, but Suzaku felt like inside Lelouch really sad of Clovis' passing but in the same time couldn't regret or forgive Clovis at all. And neither could Suzaku, perhaps… no, Lelouch was right. Prince Clovis had to die before he killed more innocent people.

Didn't he do the same thing with his father, the prime minister who was going to order his peoples to die to protect their honor as Japanese? No, he couldn't justify it because in the end his people still died. Yes, there are less people died in invasion than if they went all out fighting Britannia but in the end they lived in suffering…

* * *

**Yamamoto's private jet, Ala Piovoso **

"This is fun!" Yamamoto chirped as he moved his knight vertically.

Somehow he and Colonello decided to play chess and put the jet on auto-pilot mode. Why they decided to play chess when Yamamoto didn't even have a clue how to play of the rules other than if someone lose if their king died? Neither had any idea. People of rain type flame tend to go with the flow, not thinking too hard of what they're doing. At least that rule applied to Yamamoto and Colonello.

Colonello himself didn't mind playing this botched version of chess with Yamamoto. He knew his student, Lelouch would scream bloody murder if the ex-prince saw this heresy against his favorite game.

"Oi, Yamamoto." Colonello called out.

"Hm?"

The infant looking soldier cleared his thoat, "Don;t you think Decimo is a little overboard with sending his rain to protect Lelouch? The rendezvous period of Trinisette sky tend to be a havoc but I think he shouldn't have pamper my student this much." He took a sip of his green tea Yamamoto prepared beforehand. "Reborn is the same, he even make me come with you. Korra!"

Yamamoto shrugged, "I never doubt Tsuna." He stated, "He deem it prudent for me to guard Lelouch, it's unlikely he is just being paranoid." Yamamoto laughed at the irony, Tsuna was never paranoid, someone with hyper intuition like him couldn't be paranoid.

It's Lelouch who in spite of his ability to see millions of parallel world, was so paranoid that in term of security system his famiglia surpassed both Vongola and Giglio Nero by miles just in span of one year. Overall military power they're equal though. Then again, perhaps it's because he sees too many possibilities that Lelouch became that paranoid.

"I see… Korra."

Takeshi shrugged, "If Tsuna said tomorrow the sky will be green, I will trust him with all my heart." Takeshi said as he patted his chest.

Colonello stared at Yamamoto with blank blue eyes, "I know you meant that as rhetorical, but your face said you'll really believe Decimo if he say so." He drawled. "I won't put it pass Reborn to make Tsuna tried to test your faith, so don't say it anywhere near Reborn." The bastard would have done it just for the heck of it.

Yamamoto was not sure Reborn would do that but who knows? "Speaking of which…" He changed the topic, "Won't Lelouch be mad that we come unannounced?"

"Who cares?" Colonello took another sip of his drink, "Beside Decimo should have informed him beforehand."

* * *

**Back in Vongola Manor, Tsuna's office. **

"That was close!" Tsuna patted his chest when once again the stack of paperwork on his desk almost collapsed on him, one second late he would have buried under it. Hyper intuition or not, that was too close.

"Stack it properly you Aho-Ushi!" Hayato hurled at Lambo who was stacking the paperwork's to towering pile.

Lambo snarled, the 12 years old was not happy to be called an idiot while in fact his IQ was just three points short from Gokudera's. "Excuse me! I tried! But there are so many of them! In theory it should be still stable at that height!"

"Like hell it would! If you calculate gravity, height, the weight of the paper and…"

Tsuna cut them off before the two geniuses went to lengthy physic discussion. "Back to work." He ordered coolly, "Now." He intoned.

"Yes boss!" They saluted before returned to whatever they left to argue.

Glad that his Storm and Lightning went back to work, he nursed his aching head. This was so not fair! Why there's so many of paperwork he had to finish today?! He didn't even get a chance to contact Lelouch yet.

Reborn who had his own stack, which one tenth of his answered. "You have so many today because three reasons, first you're the one who demand Britannia to have another meeting by Wednesday, which was unplanned, so we have to empty your schedule Tuesday for preparation and Wednesday for that meeting."

"It can't be helped! Did you see their demand?! They're going to drain EU dry and use that money to resupply their resource and break the treaty." Tsuna pointed out as he stamped the document he approved. "If we insist on renegotiating in the same day it's going to be pointless as those EU representative went to that meeting with loser mentality."

Reborn snorted, "How pathetic."

Tsuna shrugged, "They're there not to win but to soften the blow Britannia is going to inflict on them." Reborn looked disgusted that EU was going to a peace treaty negotiation with loser mentality,

"Which not the right mindset to draft a fair treaty." Reborn couldn't help but added. "What a bright future EU have ahead." He said sarcastically.

Tsuna sighed wearily, "I may be their mouthpiece against Schneizel, but if I drafted EU's part on my own it's going to reflect poorly on us later. I don't want our country to be accused trying to take over EU, that's the last thing we need." Although EU won't mind if they did because if Neo-Italy left them be, "At the rate Britannia is going, give or take in one year EU probably would have lost half of their territory to Britannia and the remain forced to declare neutrality to save their own hide."

Reborn nodded in agreement, his student was sharp as usual. "Well… it can't be helped." Reborn crossed his arm. "Frankly the only country that ahead of Britannia in military development is us… EU could barely keep up and CF is hopeless."

"But we're avoiding direct conflict with Britannia." Tsuna murmured, "If Trinisette and flame become known to them." He shuddered at the prospect. "Change of topic, why am I this busy again?"

Reborn rolled his eyes, "You're busy arranging fake ambassador and help Lelouch planting his mole inside Britannia's forensic department two days ago so that's one day lost." Tsuna rolled his eyes. It's not every day Lelouch asked for help since the ex-prince became Millefiore boss. It once in a blue moon so he deemed it prudent to prioritize it. "And last… Giannini just found out that Irie and Spanner was working on better OS for our mass produced knightmare frame, and he thought it's a brilliant idea to make one himself even though he is better at communication device and arm weapons. Somehow he fried one of our servers when he tried to do it."

Tsuna groaned, he could never understand Giannini's rivalry with Irie and Spanner. "Shouichi is our main knightmare engineer, he is a robot specialist not Giannini. I will reprimand him later that I didn't appreciate him hijacking on Shouichi's project when he has his own. If he wanted to work on the same thing, he should finish his task first and offer cooperation instead of getting ahead without permission." His peoples regarded him as kind and gentle boss, but he wouldn't hesitate to reprimand his subordinates when he was required to do so.

"Can I contact Lelouch now?" He almost whined but of course he didn't, because he had an image to upheld and Reborn would kill him. "I just need fifteen minutes! It's urgent matter!"

Reborn snorted, "The day of rebirth he meant won't be until December."

Tsuna sighed, "Winter Solstice, right? Cryptic bastard."

Hayato looked up from his paperwork, "Winter Solstice, universally celebrated in 25 December as Christmas… well the day of rebirth indeed since sun seems like reborn that day." Hayato said out loud, "It's June now so about half a year? Jyuudaime need one and half year to gather all of us, can Lelouch do it? He only have one third of Jyuudaime's."

He shook his head, it's an unfair comparison. "To be fair I am not actively seeking guardians back then." Tsuna pointed out, glancing at Reborn. "Back then…" He trailed off, "The only one who have interest in me succeeding family before all Nonno's sons but Xanxus died was Reborn, and I wasn't that enthusiastic either to join the succession battle… "

Hayato quieted down, it was true that back then his boss didn't look at him as potential guardian but as a friend first and foremost. He didn't that interested either to position as Vongola guardian, all he wanted was to be Tsuna's right hand man even if Tsuna ended up become a civilian. The other guardian too, they didn't seek anything but friendship from Tsuna, maybe not in Mukuro's or Hibari's case but they're helplessly drawn by Tsuna's all the same.

"If Lelouch actively seek his knights, perhaps…" He trailed off. "It would take shorter time."

Tsuna nodded, "With him in the middle of unstable area like Japan he is bound to get in trouble, which mean better chance of eligible candidates coming to him." He snorted, "I still think I have to tell him as soon as possible."

"Considering the time limit, telling him now or tonight or tomorrow is not going to make a difference for that brat." Reborn said with a huff, "So finish that and you will have your time for him."

Tsuna raised an eyebrow, "That sounds wrong in my ears." He couldn't help but commented. The joke aside Tsuna had to admit Reborn was right, it was urgent but few hours delay was not going to help or hurt Lelouch. Oh well… "Hayato, where's the proposal for that new box weapon production?!"

"Over here Jyuudaime!" Hayato said, scrambling to retrieve the proposal for his sky.

And so… back in his private jet Yamamoto Takeshi, the revered rain guardian of Vongola had no idea he will come unannounced to Millefiore's boss' residence (HCLI's HQ) or that his presence was going to affect certain old friend of the said boss.

* * *

**HCLI's HQ **

Suzaku's mind was reeling after Lelouch explained thoroughly about what really happened in Shinjuku Ghetto, not the mostly botched version army fed him or completely false one media feed the people. Complete truth with nothing omitted. Suzaku steeled himself to ask about Leopold Acerbi, because to him it's a little suspicious a mass murderer out of nowhere did the dirty job of killing Prince Clovis.

Lelouch then admitted the bullet on Clovis' shoulder was his doing, as for why in the end Clovis died on Acerbi's hand. Lelouch paused before he explained that someone (a secret agent) came along with him brought the guy in sedated state and refused to leave Acerbi. Suzaku found it hard to believe but Lelouch amended it with saying it's the gist of it and he couldn't explain the detail without Suzaku questioning his sanity. Or so Lelouch claimed.

In short this person Lelouch brought stopped him and set Acerbi loose on Prince Clovis, and by the time Lelouch manage to get Acerbi off of Clovis it was too late.

"I see." Actually Suzaku didn't but Lelouch looked so stressed that it's just mean to ask the detail. "So where's Acerbi now?"

Lelouch's expression if possible turned sourer, "On the run, he is under our supervision though so if he go to killing spree he will be contained." He scowled, "I asked him to let Acerbi loose a little on the night of your trial to draw attention with attacking Duke Gargoyle." Suzaku blanched that and about to protest before Lelouch continued. "That Duke is corrupt, he is involved in Refrain distribution and slave trading which including kidnapping number children."

Suzaku would have said they should have given Gargoyle a trial but kept his mouth shut as it would have been pointless, no one would have given a Duke a fair trial unless royalty or anyone with higher status was involved in the said crime as victim.

"I didn't ask that man to get Acerbi to kill that Duke, just scaring him is enough." Lelouch explained and Suzaku's expression softened. "Which is why I give him a matching bruise on his cheeks."

"Heh?"

"I gave him one after the stunt he pulled on Clovis." Lelouch informed him, "The first is out of my ire but his reason in justified, the second… he is just being an ass and insubordinate to me."

Suzaku stared at Lelouch in disbelief, "I didn't expect you're type to resort to direct violence for insubordination Lelouch."

"I wouldn't if word can get through that man's thick skull." Lelouch informed Suzaku with a scoff. Mukuro didn't listen to anyone but Tsuna, and the Vongola boss himself gave Lelouch permission to hit Mukuro if that man was out of line. "But the damage is done so there's nothing I can do about it."

Suzaku swallowed, "But this Leopold Acerbi… is it alright for Britannia to execute him for regicide?"

"It's not about it's alright or not." Lelouch shook his head, "When order to arrest him was issued it's already in condition secure him alive if possible and kill if not. Either way that man's crime is already too much that even if we give him a trial the only option for him is a death sentence. Whoever issued the execution matters not."

Which mean the one who killed Clovis was already a dead man by law. "I see…"

in the end everything come together smoothly."

Suzaku glanced at the giant screen on Lelouch's office, in which Jeremiah Gottwald was apologizing to public for their errors with handling the case or Prince Clovis' murder and now Duke Gargoyle's. "But Lelouch, you don't have to go this far…"

Lelouch didn't even bat an eye at his words, "On contrary." He snorted, "I have to go this far to save your fellow honorary Britannian, they're framing you to erase that system." Suzaku swallowed, of course he knew which was why he didn't confess no matter how much they tortured him. "There're Britannian took the news of their beloved prince's death on their own hand with assaulting Japanese the moment your arrest was announced."

"What?!" Suzaku paled at that. "But…"

"That's single-minded society for you." Lelouch sighed wearily, "Revenge for slight against you aside, if we save you with their honor and reputation intact-which is not possible in the first place- there's no guarantee they won't try to endanger the system again. As crappy as the execution of the system is, it gives Japanese slightly better life. Which better than nothing…" He admitted begrudgingly.

"It's not that bad." Suzaku said in stubborn tone.

Lelouch gave him a long stare before he turned off the TV and flip laptop on his desk open. "Do you want to see the data of living condition of Honorary Britannian in Tokyo Settlement alone? Their job scoop, monthly salary, education, housing and so on…"

Suzaku slumped his shoulders in defeat, "Why I bother arguing with you about Britannia system again?" Lelouch was a Britannian and a royalty, a banished prince but of course he knew Britannia better than Suzaku ever could.

"I have no idea." Lelouch couldn't help but smirk. "But considering your own salary you should know."

Suzaku stopped on his track at that, "Lelouch… your double make me take one week off day."

"Yeah… considering the wound in your leg you are entitled for it I suppose." It already healing nicely, courtesy of healing salve, which contained healing properties of sun flame he applied on Suzaku's wound after he shot him. Maybe he shouldn't if that was the reason Suzaku could pilot Lancelot right away after that. No point regretting it.

"But… but… you should know for honorary Britannian in army we're paid based on our working hours!" Suzaku stuttered, he barely had enough for his apartment and daily need and a week off was gong seriously hard on his wallet.

Lelouch shrugged nonchalantly before he took calculator from his drawer and mumbling something under his breat as calculating something. "If I hire you for service as bodyguard for one week, is this enough?" Lelouch asked as he handed the calculator to Suzaku who sputtered when he saw the number.

It was equal three months of his pay in army, this was too much. "I can't accept this much! Lelouch, I am not going to ask for compensation just because…"

Lelouch raised an eyebrow, "But that's one week pay for bodyguard in my company. You can ask Tojo if you want… he got four times of that per month."

Considering Lelouch hired war veterans for his bodyguards, it's not much of a stretch they got paid ten times his pay. But still… "But Lelouch, if you want a bodyguard you already have so many of them. You don't have to give me a part time job to make up for the off days…" He had savings so he could survive this month just fine with it.

Lelouch sighed wearily, "None of them are mine." At dumbfounded look Suzaku shot him Lelouch explained, "While Koko and Kasper lend them to me when I need them, their contracts state them as Koko's and Kasper's bodyguards. I just took the office three months ago and spent most of my time in HQ so I didn't need them. But tomorrow I need to make a trip to Solomon Island with Koko but by the day after tomorrow I need to visit Cuba to pick up someone without Koko so I will be on my own. I don't want to borrow Koko's or Kasper's men when they need all protection they could get once they're back to battlefield for business." Lelouch leaned his face against his palm with a sigh. "That and I was confident enough of my self defense skill, it works wonderfully few days ago…" He mumbled under his breath but Suzaku heard it.

"Lelouch…" Suzaku couldn't help but laugh much to Lelouch's embarrassment. "That sounds so you but in the same time not." Lelouch raised an eyebrow at that, "I mean… you're confident of yourself as usual but the old Lelouch I know would be too proud to admit your shortcoming."

Lelouch narrowed his eyes.

"Sorry, that's a pretty mean thing to say." Suzaku said apologetically, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

The ex-prince wondered why Suzaku was being this considerate of every single damned thing. Suzaku had said meaner thing when they're kids and neither of them felt offended by it. But now… "Funny that you're sorry for that after calling me dumb Britt like hundreds times when we were ten."

Suzaku flushed red at that, "Uhm, I was like that huh…" He laughed softly, "Well… seven years is a long time."

He changed, that's what Suzaku tried to say. "You're still my friend."

"Huh?"

Lelouch held his gaze on Suzaku and said. "It doesn't matter to me, even if he no longer the brash and arrogant ten years old I befriend with." He closed his eyes then continued, "Even if he is a Britannian soldier… no matter what, Kururugi Suzaku is still my oldest and best friend."

"…" Suzaku was happy and hopeful but what he heard but in the same time guilt and shame was eating him. Lelouch won't see him as a friend anymore if he knew he had… killed his father. A child killed his father in a fit of childish anger and naivety, who wanted to be a friend of someone who had soaked his hands with the blood of his own father at ten?

Lelouch opened his eyes, confused why Suzaku was so quiet and still. It scared him because Suzaku looked nervous and uneasy, had he said something wrong? At the time like this he wished he had Tsuna's hyper intuition, and quickly squashed that thought right away. Their power always had its drawback, which including Tsuna's.

He was not Tsuna but he recognize Suzaku's expression, eyes downcast with haunted look on his face, eyebrows scrunched, his lips drawn to thin line, fist clenched on his lap. "Suzaku, what did you do?" He asked before his brain could process his question.

Suzaku jolted on his seat, looking at Lelouch with shock and bewilderment. "Wha… what do you mean Lelouch?"

Lelouch raised his hands in placating gesture, "Sorry, that didn't come out right." He said in sheepish tone, "I am not interrogating you, it's just that… I have seen that look on your face before." Suzaku tensed, "Just once but perhaps because I have seen it just once it's so easy to remember it, remember when you borrowed Tohdoh's katana without permission and injured yourself when you try to swing it? You have the same expression on your face when Tohdoh and your father found out."

Of course Lelouch remembered, after all he ran to Lelouch after he injured himself and the young prince was the one who clean up and bandaged his wound. He was scared adults would tell his father and teacher so he couldn't ask anyone but Lelouch to fix his arm. But in the end Tohdoh found out because of small trail of blood he left from dojo to vi Britannia's room. Tohdoh had lectured him mercilessly for being irresponsible and a coward for hiding his mistake, his father didn't say anything but his silence hurt Suzaku more than Tohdoh's word.

"So I can't help but think you have done something to make such face." Lelouch explained in solemn tone. "Although I don't understand why you suddenly give me that look."

He swallowed nervously, he knew that look on Lelouch's face. Lelouch wanted an explanation, which pretty justified as he made this kind of face when Lelouch called him a friend. "Lelouch, I… I am not the good person you thought me to be, not… someone who deserve to be your best friend…" Someone like Lelouch, he was arrogant, haughty but in the same time kind and caring brother to Nunnaly and him. Lelouch who had done so much to save Japanese in Shinjuku Ghetto and saved him from execution.

Lelouch narrowed his eyes, "So? I am not a good person either. I have killed and lie for what I see as greater good."

Yes, he did see Lelouch kill those soldiers. But soldiers as Lelouch said had to be ready to be killed in their line of duty, but what he had done was nothing like that! "I… I have done something horrible… so horrible that I…" He deserved to be called a monster. He was going to tell Lelouch of his greatest sin, he had killed his father, he condemned his people to this subjugation and he…

**Murderer! **

**He is a child, he didn't mean to do this! **

**He killed his father, this monster was no scion of Kururugi clan! **

**A MONSTER! **

Lelouch won't admit it but he feared for Suzaku now, he rushed to Suzaku and noticed his friend's pupil dilating, trembling hands, sweating, his breath uneven, these are clear signs of distress. Whatever the cause, Suzaku was having a panic attack, and he had to calm Suzaku down.

"Stop." Lelouch gritted out. Suzaku stared at Lelouch who he didn't know since when had come so close and was holding his trembling hand. "If you don't want or you're not ready to tell me, just stop Suzaku." His friend looked ready to break down and he couldn't bear to see it, whatever Suzaku had done he didn't need to know if it pained Suzaku so much.

"I… I… Hah hah…" Suzaku hunched over on his seat as he tried to breathe but he couldn't, everything was spinning and intense fear started to grip his heart.

This was bad, Suzaku was starting to hyperventilate and at this rate his panic attack was going to become worse. Panic attack, a period of intense fear that caused losing bodily control. Suzaku was already hyperventilating, and he forced himself to breathe which made it worse.

Lelouch's grip on Suzaku's trembling hand tighten. "Suzaku, calm down! Try to breathe… you're hyperventilating so try take a deep breath slowly." He ordered and shifted his grip to Suzaku's left shoulder. "Sit up." He said as he pulled Suzaku in sitting position so he could breath easier, and then he grabbed Suzaku's chin and forced him to look up. "Lift your head up and take a deep breath."

"Hah… hah… Lel… ouch…" It's hurt! His chest hurts!

No good, Suzaku's brain tried to follow Lelouch's instruction but his mind and heart were in a mess. Unless he did something to calm Suzaku, the pain would be worse. "Suzaku, listen to me." He hissed to his ear and then spoke loud and clear, in his panic Lelouch didn't notice the sound of door swinging open or someone calling his name.

"Boss, we're coming in and…"

Suzaku in his panic felt like he was drowning and tried to grasp something to hold onto and gripped Lelouch hand that was holding his chin. "Ha…"

"I swear in my name and honor that nothing will change our friendship. Even if the world condemn you for what you have done I will always accept you… you will always be my friend and brother. I will always be on your side!" The same promise Tsuna spoke to him before, an altered version of Vow of Loyalty of Neo-Italy, a promise of eternal bond. The highest vow one could bind themselves to in his homeland.

Suzaku stopped trembling, his breath slowly evened as he slowly released his grip on Lelouch's hand. He didn't feel like he was drowning anymore and that horrible chest pain was gone.

"Are you alright? Suzaku…" Lelouch's voice called him out of his daze.

He turned his face so he could see Lelouch, his friend's face was dyed in anxiety and worry. "Yes… I'm fine."

Lelouch accepted him, swearing that nothing will change between them even if Suzaku was a monster. Could he trust Lelouch? Always, but could he dare to hope for some place to belong without condemning himself?

"Erm…" A feminine voice interrupted his thought. "Boss? Should we come back later?"

Lelouch's eyes widened when he saw his right hand women in HCLI, and shocked even more when his gaze landed on the two peoples beside her. "Koko, since when and… what are you doing here? Master, Yamamoto…" Why they're so quiet all of a sudden, and Koko looked like she wanted to be anywhere but here.

Suzaku turned around and saw three figures by the door, and were walking to their direction before stopped across the table in front of them. It was Koko, an unknown Japanese boy and a… toddler in army uniform?

As expected it was Yamamoto who found his voice first, "Tsuna didn't inform you of us?" Lelouch shook his head in negative, "Hm… sorry for coming unnounced then, something must have holding him up back home."

"It's fine." Lelouch assured the rain guardian standing up from his seat. "What's the purpose of this visit Takeshi? You even bring Colonello with you."

Colonello scoffed, "Ungrateful disciple, we come to help you Korra!"

Suzaku stared at the infant in disbelief then back to Lelouch, _this baby is Lelouch's teacher?! How is that possible? _

Lelouch felt his head start to hurt. "I am not being ungrateful Colonello, but how you expect me to be grateful when I have no idea what you're coming to help me with?" He pointed out.

"Smartass as usual." Colonello grumbled.

_Did I just hear that baby calling Lelouch names?! _Suzaku thought in disbelief.

Yamamoto stepped forward, his expression was sheepish. "Well… Checker face showed up." Lelouch tensed up, that was never a good sign. "He gave us an ultimatum regarding your knights, he wanted you to gather them before winter solstice or else." Hayato had sent him an email, explaining about Checker Face's ultimatum.

Lelouch growled at that, now he had only half a year to gather his Millefiore Knights?! "That bastard… of all times, he give me an ultimatum now?!"

Takeshi turned his eyes to Suzaku then back to Lelouch, "Well… bad news aside, look what we have here! Congratulation Lelouch!" He chirped then quickly amended, "Sorry, that's informal!" He cleared his throat, and gave Lelouch a bow. "Congratulation, Don Millefiore… "

Lelouch tensed, what Yamamoto congratulate him for? Didn't Checker Face threatened him about his knights?

Colonello eyed his student cryptically, and decided to go along with his fellow rain. "I guess the congratulation is in order, Don Millefiore."

Colonello too?!

Koko was the last of the three to catch up, "Oh!" Her eyes widened in realization. "Congratulation boss! And you too Kururugi, I mean… Cavaliere Kururugi!" Unlike the other two instead of bowing she was kneeling to Suzaku. "It's an honor…"

Suzaku was thoroughly confused, and sputtered that Koko suddenly paid homage to him. "Miss Koko! What are you doing?!"

Horror couldn't describe Lelouch's face the moment he realized what he had just done. In his panic he swore the Vow of Loyalty to Suzaku. Their society was never strict to proper wording unlike Britannia so as long as the wording have the same gist it was considered valid. The problem was, he was a Don and when he swore it to someone who wasn't a mafia it's the same as baptizing the civilian involved to his family. Not to mention he was one of Trinisette holders, the _capo di tutti capi,_ he couldn't retract that vow! Not in front of witnesses!

There's the loophole! The witnesses had not declare a formal acknowledgement of the vow, it's not valid yet so he could explain before further damage was done. He took a deep breath, his shoulders shagging in relieve. Calm down… you need to explain that you didn't mean it to recruit Suzaku to mafia, you're just swearing an eternal friendship and loyalty which nothing to do with mafia _at all_!

"Wait… please wait, listen!" He said sternly, standing up with hands raised in placating gesture. "Suzaku is not…"

"Official yet?" Colonello, his Spartan teacher continued without being asked. "Hm… true, just now it's private but we have witnesses here."

Lelouch nodded almost frantically, "Yes, but the problem is I have not…" Tell Suzaku a thing about Mafia! Heck, Suzaku was completely speechless and confused by the whole ordeal. The poor guy would have asked what's going on but felt it's not his place, and he was still recovering from his recent panic attack. Lelouch didn't want Suzaku to deal with this on top of that!

Yamamoto, the so ever helpful Yamamoto chirped, "Oh come on Lelouch! We're not that direly in need of ceremony and stuff to make it official!" Neo-Italy unlike Britannia was not so in love with ceremony as they will choose festival any day over it. Which was why Tsuna had his official ceremony two years after he won his succession battle when he was fourteen. "We can have that anytime later."

Colonello narrowed his blue eyes at Lelouch who tried frantically to explain something to Yamamoto then he turned his observation to the newly appointed Millefiore knight who tensed the moment the knight felt his eyes. Something was fishy, that was not how someone who had just been appointed would react.

"Screw ceremony!" Lelouch moaned in frustration, "Listen to me first! That vow just now has nothing to do with my family, I am just…"

"I agree, screw ceremony." Colonello said, stopping Lelouch from his tirade. "We can make it official here and now." He said then he hopped to the top of coffee table beside the sofa Suzaku occupied. The Japanese boy tensed but didn't move from his spot. "Stand up brat."

Suzaku blinked and about to question Lelouch about the toddler but he was greeted by a riffle on his face. "Attention!" Suzaku, recognizing the order couldn't fight his instict as soldier to stand up, heels together, toes thirty degrees apart and body rigid with fists clenched and thumbs pointing down seams of his trousers.

"Yes sir!" Inwardly Suzaku wondered why he felt like he was ordered by his drill sergeant.

Lelouch was torn between hilarity and exasperation looking at Suzaku, who couldn't help but obey Colonello's drill sergeant voice. He would try to help Suzaku, but with a riffle on Suzaku's face there's nothing he could do. Colonello was hundred times faster than he was in shooting.

"Your hand please." Suzaku nervously accepted Colonello's hand, he was confused but couldn't refuse. Colonello cleared his throat, his face became solemn and he began to speak in Italian.

**"****_In my honor I acknowledge your pledge. I, Colonello, the rain Arcobaleno accept the resolution of this bond, to ruin and to prosper together with your sky."_**

His pacifier glowed briefly in blue light, Suzaku almost yelped when Colonello's hand was shrouded by blue flame. Suzaku realized the blue flame didn't emit any heat, it felt like water but in the same time it wasn't. It was… such a beautiful flame…

Colonello narrowed his eyes when he saw the flame on Suzaku's side emitted much slower, and unstable, flickering in and out before melting together with his. He had used his flame to force Suzaku's dormant flame out a little, the result was… worrying, but his student was already attached to this boy to be part of his sky.

While Suzaku was watching the rain flame in awe, Lelouch was shocked to the core as he pieced together what Colonello was trying to do. He and Yamamoto represent Arcobaleno and Vongola, their acknowledgment was part of the official ceremony and if…

"My turn!" Yamamoto hopped cheerfully to Suzaku's side, and the dazed Suzaku had accepted Yamamoto's hand. His eyes glued to the beautiful ring on Yamamoto's right middle finger, which was emitting the same blue flame.

Lelouch moved to stop Takeshi before he did something irreparable. "Takeshi! STOP!" Colonello who know since when was beside him whacked him upside his head for his trouble.

**"****_In my honor I acknowledge your pledge. I, Yamamoto Takeshi, the rain guardian of Vongola accept the resolution of this bond, to ruin and to prosper together with your sky OOF!"_**

Takeshi and Suzaku were tackled by Lelouch to stop them, but much to Lelouch's horror their joined hands were already burning by rain flame. "What have you done?!"

"Ouch!" Suzaku moaned, "What was that for Lelouch?"

Lelouch snapped at Suzaku, "Do you have any idea what you have gotten yourself into?!"

Suzaku blinked owlishly, "I got myself into something?" He asked back.

Takeshi groaned in pain, "Lelouch, get off me… your shoes is digging to my stomach." He informed the ex-prince, "Your friend too, his knee is on my face!" He added.

Both of them hurriedly got off of Takeshi who was unfortunate enough to land below them. They apologized profusely, but Takeshi assured them he was okay. "It's fine… beside I can't be angry after I got the honor to be a witness and hey! I get to be the first guardian of Vongola who got to be introduced to your very fist knight!" Takeshi said cheerfully.

Lelouch groaned at that, "Takeshi… you see, Suzaku actually…"

"Suzaku?" Takeshi repeated the name and laughed out loud. "That's a pretty contradicting name for the Rain Knight." He couldn't help but commented, "Nevertheless, nice to meet you… I am your Vongola counterpart, the rain guardian of Vongola Decimo."

Lelouch turned to Suzaku in surprise, "You're a rain?" He didn't expect that, he thought Suzaku would be storm or perhaps lightning but rain? He shook his head, this was not the time to ponder about that! "I haven't tell him about 'Our Thing' at all, he can't be my knight like this!" Lelouch snapped, startling Takeshi who gaped at his exclamation.

Suzaku's eyes widened in shock, he became Lelouch's what?!

* * *

**I feel like I want to cry that I almost finish past part of PAOST but stuck on the future part. **


	9. Chapter 9

**At first I want each knight have their own role that differ from their Vongola counterpart, but eh… this is alternate universe so I decide to just make it the same for three famiglia. Although Arcobaleno just didn't work as one famiglia. As when I try to make rain knight's role, it's not that different from Vongola's rain...**

**ps: I can't believe I get 14 reviews for last chapter! **

* * *

**Chapter 9: Conflicting Resolution**

Spell of silence fell on the room, no one dared to spoke in response that Lelouch Millefiore, the revered leader of Millefiore famiglia had just knighted someone by accident. All because Vongola rain guardian and Rain Arcobaleno misunderstood his intention in regards to Kururugi Suzaku.

It was Yamamoto who break the silence. "But we heard you say it…" Yamamoto trailed off. "The vow."

He waved his hand in negative gesture. "I mean it as purely as it is! Nothing to do with recruiting him to my family!" Lelouch said in frustrated tone. "You're the one who jump to conclusion, now how I suppose to fix this?! You acknowledge him with your signature flame as representative of Vongola and Arcobaleno!"

"Fix what?" Colonello asked with a raised eyebrow, "This boy is _that_ Suzaku, right? Isn't he the first person on top of your mind you want to make your knight?"

Lelouch gritted his teeth, "Yes, he is! But I am going to give him a choice to refuse, now it's looks like I entrap him in this! He didn't even know anything!"

Colonello turned to Suzaku, startling the Japanese boy. "I don't see how it's a problem." Actually he had a feeling this boy would be more trouble than his worth, but Lelouch was not someone who would be deterred once he set his mind on something.

"It's a BIG problem for me Colonello!" Lelouch snapped.

"Well, what you can do about it?" Colonello reminded him, "Unless you want to start making exception to our sacred vow, which will not going well to our people if one of our _capo di tutti capi _startbreaking rules for his convenience."

Lelouch snarled at that, "I am not going to start doing such sacrilege!"

True, there was a line that even he, Tsuna and Uni as the supreme leaders of Neo-Italy couldn't cross. They were not dictators in spite of unrivalled power and authority they held in Neo-Italy, because unlike the emperor of Britannia there was a set of sacred rules they couldn't break.

Suzaku looked at them back and forth, he wanted to say something as everyone was talking about him as if he is not there. He swallowed and stepped forward to Lelouch's side. "Erm… I am still here, can someone explain what have I gotten myself into?" Suzaku was almost tempted to shout, as Lelouch and his teacher were getting louder in their argument.

Lelouch flushed, "I am sorry Suzaku." The raven haired boy said apologetically. "But in short I accidentally made you one of my knights when I said that vow to you." Suzaku tensed and Lelouch hurriedly amended. "I mean every word of it." Lelouch said with conviction and Suzaku couldn't help but relieved, "But these two misunderstood my intention!"

Relieved that Lelouch mean his word Suzaku started to notice some discrepancies in the conversation. "Wait… you make me your knight? I am an Eleven and not eligible! Beside aren't you… uhm…"

"Disowned?" Seriously, of all things to be considerate of, Suzaku thought he would be offended to be reminded of his status as a banished prince? "Yeah, I am... this have nothing to do with my Britannian heritage. Heck, in official paper my citizenship is not Britannian anymore…" In the real official paper, the fake one he was still a Britannian.

"What?!" Suzaku believed Lelouch would have done that out of spite, but he never thought Lelouch really did it. "So… are we still talking about my part time job as your bodyguard?" If that's the case Lelouch shouldn't make so much fuss.

Yamamoto who was right behind him gaped in shock, "Part time job?!" His tone was incredulous, "No, you're his knight for a lifetime! It's not even a job in the first place!" They didn't get paid for being Tsuna's guardian.

Suzaku blinked owlishly, that sounded awfully alike with the Knight of Honor. "Lelouch, have you become a royalty in another country?" That was unlikely and he waited for Lelouch to laugh at him for the incredulity, much to his confusion Lelouch did not.

"You know what?" Lelouch said in bewildered tone, "Of all three guesses you made, the third, which is the most outrageous one actually the closest."

"What?!" Suzaku sputtered.

Colonello titled his head to the side, "Considering the hierarchy of our government, and that Don in the first place is Italian honorific for a lord and in Sicily it's equal of a king… yeah."

"You're a KING?!" Suzaku stuttered in shock.

"No!" Lelouch denied then stopped, "Uhm… not exactly but close I guess?"

Sound of his door slammed open this time didn't fall on deaf ears this time, as one, they turned their attention the door. Koko, Kasper and their bodyguards were gasping for breath as they went inside in hurry. The door fortunately was large enough for all of them.

"BOSS!" Kasper called jovially, "This call for celebration!" He cheered as if Christmas had come early this year.

"I have the wine over here!" Koko chirped, she and Valmet were carrying a bottle of expensive wine on each arm.

No wonder he didn't hear Koko say anything after she paid homage to Suzaku, it must be when Colonello gave his blessing to Suzaku. Koko was out of his radar at that time.

_"Boss, I am going to tell the other! This call for a celebration wohooooo~"_

_Wohoo my ass._

Kasper fished out his phone, he looked almost as excited as when he was recruited to Lelouch's famiglia. Which was saying something since Kasper while laidback was rarely excited of anything. "So what kind of festival we're going to have in his honor, Boss? Just say the word and…"

Lelouch slammed his palm on his forehead, "There's something else need to be done before the rest of the pomp and festival, don't you think?" Like explaining the misunderstanding, one that had been blown up out of proportion to hell and back. Unfortunately for Lelouch, once again his word was taken differently and not the way he meant it.

"Oh yes! Pardon our rudeness…" Kasper said as he and the rest of their bodyguards sank to their knees to Suzaku, who if it's even possible, became even more confused and flustered. Lelouch noted Tojo was still standing and going to say something but Lutz and R pulled him down to kneel.

Lelouch was about to tell them that was not what he meant but Kasper loudly interrupted with asking, "Erm… what's your flame, Cavaliere?"

Suzaku just blinked at that, and Colonello came to his rescue. "Rain."

Kasper beamed at that before clearing his throat loudly, **_"Il mio Pioggia, may your rain wash away our conflict. In the name of our honor and pride we pledge our loyalty to you and our sky…"_**

"That's enough." Lelouch snapped, "Rise!"

They flinched and as one stood, **"Si! Il mio Ciello!" **They had only been part of his famiglia for three months, but two weeks stay in homeland ingrained the response in them. They couldn't help it as Lelouch could have thousands of men saluting to him that one sentence, _Yes, my sky! _Stand in the middle of those thousand men and you have that one line etched to memory like a sacred mantra.

"Now, all of you out!" Lelouch ordered, then added. "Except Tojo, we can discuss all pomp and festival later if we can have it." Much later… "And keep this news to yourself!"

Kasper smiled sheepishly, "Of course boss to the first order, but the second one hum…"

Koko fidgeted nervously, "We have contacted our HQ in homeland about it and they're already preparing a festival when you go home this weekend as we speak."

Lelouch groaned, "I will deal with that later, so out!"

**"Si! Il mio Ciello!" **They chorused as all of them but Tojo rushed out of the room as noisily as they came.

Lelouch was about to speak when a sound of chiming bell came from his phone, he had a mail which he'd ignored if he didn't see the address was Nunnally's. He opened the email, not with feeling of happiness he usually felt but dread.

**_I am so happy brother!  
I'm glad Suzaku now is part of our family and one of your knights! You're still busy and have no time for a party, so don't worry! I will order our people to delay the festiveness for now. We still want a party for this occasion, so can we have a small one for this weekend when you're home? Please brother? I am sure you and Suzaku will enjoy it! _**

**_I'm pretty busy with Signor Ryohei about our project so I can't call you, send my love for Suzaku. _**

**_Hug and Kisses  
Nunnally Millefiore _**

**_Ps: I miss the cream puff from Ashford canteen so buy some for me. _**

"Nunnally…" Even his sister, "The world is out against me today…" He lamented theatrically. "And Tojo, please tell me you're still with me in faction 'Think logically before you speak' because everyone seems to take my word literally and jump to conclusion!"

Colonello whacked him upside his head for that, "What did I tell you about angsting?! Kora!" He shouted boisterously. "You have an image to upheld! And it's definitely not an emo prince!"

Lelouch hissed in pain, rubbing his throbbing head. "Yes… yes, I hear you master." Damn it, why the hell Tsuna had to specify that one of Colonello's duty, as his teacher was to forbid him from brooding?

"Erm… I am with you boss." Tojo said sympathetically. "To be honest." He glanced at Suzaku. "Does Suzaku-kun have any idea what he had gotten himself into?" He wondered out loud, "Do you?" He asked Suzaku.

Suzaku looked very relieved that at last someone familiar he could speak with. "I don't… I am still trying to comprehend the part Lelouch has become royalty in another country and apparently he has accidentally make me his knight." He drawled in sheepish tone. "Uhm… actually, can someone tell me how big deal it is to be Lelouch's knight? Everyone is speaking in language I don't understand but they're all kneeling to me! I am so confused Tojo-sensei!"

Lelouch felt guilty for putting Suzaku in this position, "Okay… I guess we really should sit down and explain thoroughly… "He glared at Colonello. "And I will really… appreciate it if you didn't speak out of turn again Colonello."

"Hmph!" Colonello harrumphed, crossing his arm petulantly.

"You too Yamamoto Takeshi."

"Ha ha ha." He just laughed in response.

All of them took seat on nearby sofa set, Lelouch sat across Suzaku and Tojo while Yamamoto sat with Colonello. Lelouch cleared his throat, "First of all I guess I have to explain that I am…" He swallowed and steeled himself. "I am a mafia boss and all upper echelon members of HCLI including Tojo are part of my mafia family." He confessed in the most even voice he could muster, and as if an after thought, he added. "So does Nunnally." As if it could placate Suzaku somewhat instead of making it worse. Lelouch waited for his friend to blow up.

But nothing came. Suzaku just sat in front of him with clueless expression and waited for more elaboration in his part. When Suzaku opened his mouth, what he said was definitely the last thing Lelouch expected.

"What is mafia? Is that the name of your company?" Suzaku asked innocently.

Silence… three heads turned to Suzaku, staring at him in disbelief. Only Tojo looked unperturbed by the revelation that Suzaku didn't know what mafia is. He raised his hand as if asking for permission to speak. "Sorry, this is partly my fault… Suzaku-kun was home-schooled. Under Prime Minister's order when it comes to history and politics around the world, I taught him what he need to know according to politic climate at that time so we neglect everything else…"

The three Mafioso were silent until Lelouch managed an, "Oh."

Suzaku chose that moment to make another guess. "Is it the name of your country or something like it then Lelouch?"

Lelouch stared at Suzaku in disbelief, "It's kind of scary you can make such a close to truth guesses but never completely get it right." He couldn't help but commented. Then he glanced at Yamamoto, come to think of it again Tsuna's rain guardian also had this freakish instinct like a wild animal.

Tojo turned to face his old student, "It's an organized body, in the past mafia used to operate mainly in Sicily, Italy… and we have complex and strict behavior code." Tojo paused, "Well… the easiest way to describe us perhaps… Italian version of Yakuza?"

Colonello scoffed, "Mafia comes first before Yakuza, so it's Yakuza, the Japanese version of mafia."

"I see…" Suzaku started to get it and stopped on his track.

Yakuza's definition: a Japanese organized **crime** syndicate.

Suzaku stood up and faster than Lelouch could react, the brunette snatched his gloved hands and inspecting each digit covered by his black gloves. "I have complete set of my digits, thank you very much!" Lelouch snapped, "And we don't have tradition of cutting finger like Yakuza in the first place!"

Yamamoto was laughing in the background, hunching over as holding his stomach. "Ha ha ha ha… this is too funny!"

"But Lelouch! You're not a criminal!" Suzaku exclaimed in disbelief.

Lelouch groaned, "I am not! At least not to my country…"

Tojo nodded almost frantically, "I am just comparing them in term of civilian's perception!" He amended quickly, as Suzaku looked ready to break down again. "To outsider they're crime organization but it's not like that!"

Lelouch continued in deadpan tone, holding up two fingers. "In genesis of mafia there are two types of mafia, the crime organization and vigilante group." Lelouch added, "In short through centuries, the vigilante group dominate the other, and their influence grow stronger and stronger. It gets to a point mafia become the government body of Italy."

"Neo-Italy now." Yamamoto added, "We even move the capital to Venice ha ha ha."

The raven-haired boss shrugged, "So yeah… we can't be criminals if it's us who create law and keep the country running, could we?"

Suzaku tried to process the shortened and simplified version of mafia history in his brain. Lelouch he knew would join criminal organization to destroy Britannia, but he'd leave Nunnally out of it. He supposed if Lelouch let Nunnaly to be part of them, mafia couldn't be bad.

"So… how is Nunnally?" Suzaku couldn't help but ask.

Lelouch's eyes softened, "She is back home in Neo-Italy." Suzaku couldn't help but noted Lelouch called Neo-Italy as home so fondly. "She is my right hand woman in family, so while I'm here she keep my family running at home."

He was happy, and so was Nunnally. That's good, never mind Nunnally was running a probably gigantic organization in Lelouch's place. Although small traitorous part of his mind couldn't help having an image of older Nunnally donning a elaborate kimono, her long hair done up to a bun and she was drawing a chokuto out of her obi.

**Anego. **

He couldn't decide it was hilarious or terrifying, but right hand woman didn't sound better either.

"As for your second question about how big deal it is to be our boss' knight… well…" Tojo trailed off. "I guess the better wording would be how high that position is in mafia." Suzaku nodded almost frantically.

"Please don't use yakuza again as comparison." Lelouch couldn't help but ask, "Use Japanese military system, or Britannia for all I care, if it make it easier for Suzaku."

Tojo shrugged, "Okay… I guess Millefiore Knights have equal station as…" He trailed off, "Britannia's knight of round." Suzaku's eyes widened in shock, wasn't that was the highest rank of knight in Britannia? Lelouch seriously considering him for such a high position?!

Yamamoto frowned, "Knight of Round don't have any say in politic, do they?" They had it but only when the emperor gave them the authority, aside from Knight of One who could have full authority in his chosen area. In practice they didn't have any say in political ground. "We in the other hand have the authority on our assigned field."

"True." Lelouch concurred, "So I guess my knights also doubled as minister…"

Arcobaleno mostly kept themselves out of politic aside from Reborn and Uni, either because they had their own interest like Mammon and Verde, dedicating themselves to train disciple like Fon and Colonello, or simply incapable like Skull. So currently the bosses and guardians run everything themselves. Calm period like now they could handle, but by the time the Project RE- is on its next stage there's no way everything could be run smoothly without their Millefiore counterpart.

Suzaku stared at Lelouch in bewilderment, "Uhm Lelouch, I am flattered you consider me for such an honorable position but I am not sure I am qualified."

Lelouch narrowed his eyes and Suzaku flinched, "Suzaku, I'd never choose unqualified people to be my knights, I give you a choice to refuse this offer but never use that as the reason." He stated firmly, "Weren't you planning to be the Knight of One for your people? I don't see how you'd think you're qualified to be the emperor's knight but not mine."

He didn't mean to offend Lelouch, while he was happy Lelouch think so highly of him but… "I mean I am confident with my martial arts, but helping you to run a country is definitely out of my league."

"You can learn, I didn't become a boss right away before Colonello train me…" Lelouch informed him with a sigh, "Beside…" He glanced at Yamamoto, "This guy over here mostly doing errands like peace talk and training new recruits. "

Yamamoto grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head as if he was embarrassed by his lack of participation in running the country. Inwardly Lelouch rolled his eyes, if Hayato was Tsuna's right hand, this man was the left hand. True, Yamamoto's role in politic mostly just ambassador in case some famiglia under Vongola decided to be a little rowdy, his easygoing nature made people easy to trust him and sometimes underestimate him.

Tsuna's left hand however was more than a soothing rain, he could be merciless downpour that wash away conflicts with force if he must. If asked which guardian of Tsuna's who had record under their belt in category of worse devastation they left in their wake, the first of course goes to Hibari Kyouya and second place goes to Yamamoto Takeshi.

Which was why when Yamamoto was tasked to mediate a peace talk all parties involved would do everything to not wake the merciless downpour, and finish their conflict the moment he was still a gentle shower.

That was rain's duty, _To become a blessed shower that settles conflict and washes everything away. _

When he was taught about the duty of guardians who serve sky bosses, he couldn't help but think rain's was awful. Simply because it sounds like a sacred duty like any other guardian, but in the same time when you look more closely if they're the blessed shower that _settles_ conflict, why did they washes _everything_ away?

Lelouch clenched his fist, if Suzaku become his rain that would be Suzaku's duty too. He didn't know the old Suzaku, but current Suzaku who seemed loathed bloodshed to the point he risked his life stupidly to stop it… He was going to make _this_ Suzaku to offer peace in one hand and a promise of annihilation hidden on the other hand he put on his back.

"At any rate…" He stood up abruptly, "You went through a lot today, I suggest you retire to your room Suzaku and…" He swallowed, "Please consider the offer…"

There was a tone of finality on his voice, that no one but Suzaku had any say in this. Regardless what their mafia code says, Lelouch wanted to give Suzaku a chance to choose but in the same time he didn't want to let go of his best friend.

**HCLI's basement. **

"Marianne… Marianne…" C.C murmured under her breath in frustration. She sat up then looked around her room, her prison.

This was not working. Something was blocking her power from contacting Marianne. She disliked talking with her ex-contractor, but she was just testing the connection the moment she felt it was cut off. She could connect with C world, or rather it become one way connection and she couldn't draw her power from it. But connection with Marianne or V.V she was supposed to be connected mentally had been completely severed.

What was this suppose to mean?

"Surprised?" Minami asked mischievously from the screen on her left wall. "Like boss said, cooperating will hurt you less."

C.C narrowed her eyes at the Japanese woman. "What did you do to me?"

She shrugged, adjusting her glasses with a sigh. "Not me, it's my boss." She informed the green haired code. "After the last stunt you pulled on him, it's decided you need to be taught some consequences for your bad behavior."

The code clenched her fist in ire, "You think you can do whatever you want to me huh? Arrogant human…" She hissed venomously.

Minami laughed out loud, "That's a pretty Britannian mindset you have there, Miss C.C he he…"

C.C's eyes widened a fraction at that, she said that C.C had Britannian mindset?! "What do you mean?"

"Winners take all, the strong devour the weak… survival of the fittest…" Minami listed on, "Britannia still take that ideology with barbarian perspective, a country that tell her people to take whatever they wanted from weaker race."

C.C snorted, "I see… so in spite of saying you cared not of human conflict, you still resent Britannia for subjugating your country."

Minami smiled at that, a goofy smile no less which took C.C off guard. "Ha ha ha… that's a pretty interesting take you have there, but no, I'm merely stating general opinion of my people regarding Britannia." Then she added, "When I say my people I'm not talking about Japanese by the way."

C.C was about to retort but the screen was turned off and silence greeted her. She fumed inwardly and pulled the comforter over her. There's nothing she could do now, she might as well count her blessing. At least she had a comfy bed, endless supplies of pizza and no one was torturing her physically.

At least Lelouch vi Britannia was a better host than his half brother could ever be, that won't stop her from extracting revenge once she was free though.

**Meanwhile in Lelouch's office **

"But Lelouch." Suzaku protested as Tojo pushed him not so gently out of the office.

Lelouch shook his head, one hand was holding the handle of the door. "It's fine…" He hissed, low enough just to be heard by Tojo and Suzaku. "I don't want you to stay and those two to try influencing your decision."

"I can hear you! Kora!" Colonello who was at least five meters away shouted.

"Ha ha ha…" Yamamoto laughed sheepishly.

Suzaku swallowed, "But if… you really need me to be your knight, and if I refuse it will trouble you…"

The ex-prince narrowed his eyes in ire. "If you choose to be my knight it has to be out of your free will and for your own sake." He stated firmly, "That's how it works for Vongola guardians and Millefiore knights…" He said firmly.

Suzaku was stunned by what Lelouch said. "For my sake? My own?" That's a pretty foreign concept to him since he was down the path of atoning his sin. He had to admit his self-sacrifice was partly for his own selfish desire to atone but he had never done anything for purely for his own good.

"Suzaku." Lelouch began exasperatedly "As the leader of this famiglia, when I choose someone to be my knight… I have to grant them one of their greatest wishes in exchange for their undying loyalty to me." He stated with conviction, "So tell me Suzaku, what do you wish for?" He crossed his arms, "Tell me and only if I can grant it, I earn the right for your loyalty."

Suzaku looked appalled by what Lelouch said, wasn't that incredibly selfish? "But I will do it if that what it takes to protect you! You don'I heard that baby… he said you can't make exception for me, it's bad for your reputation!"

Lelouch said that vow to help him, and it got Lelouch in trouble.

"You don't have to give me anything! I even will…" His eyes downcast was he said it, "I will even die for you…"

Suzaku didn't expect all occupants in the room to be so shocked the moment the words left his mouth. The two rains looked surprised and gaping at him as if he was insane, and Lelouch looked like someone had just slapped him.

"Suzaku." Lelouch growled, breaking the spell of silence that descended in the room. "If you become my knight, your duty is not laying down your life for me like the Knight of Honor. You're not going to be my human shield!" He pointed at Suzaku right on his face. "You. Can't. Die. For .Me!"

"But."

"No buts!" Lelouch growled, anger clearly blazing on his eyes. "Now out! Out of my sight and reflect on what you just said!" He shouted before closing the door on Suzaku's face.

Turning around he marched to the sofa set where the two rains sat, his eyes scanned each of them scrutinizing. "Since you're already here, I may as well make use of you both." At Colonello's riffle pointed at his face, he quickly amended. "Or just Takeshi, I can't think of how to fit a super baby somewhere in my plan anyway."

Yamamoto didn't mind Lelouch ordering him around; after all it's for the sake of their country too. "I will follow you, but still… are you sure you can work with things unsettled between you and your friend?" He said as he jerked his thumb to the closed door.

"Very sure." Lelouch answered in a heartbeat, taking the seat across them. "Beside… if I didn't make him leave… I…" He trailed off with uneasiness clearly painted in his face, his eyes shifted as if avoiding Colonello's observing eyes. "I will lost my temper and strangle that idiot."

* * *

**Hallway, 5 minutes later… **

Suzaku couldn't help but a little angry Lelouch sent him off like that, but in the same time he couldn't understand what's Lelouch's problem with his willingness to swear himself to Lelouch without anything in return. He was Lelouch's best friend, he didn't need reward to protect his friend.

He didn't want anything!

Okay, that was a lie but what he wanted was not something Lelouch could give him. In fact Lelouch would scorn him if he knew what Suzaku wanted.

"Suzaku-kun." The brunette almost jumped when his former teacher called him, "Your room is over here remember?" Tojo said as he pointed at the door he had walked pass by two meters.

Suzaku turned around, flushing a deep red. "Uhm yeah."

Tojo reached out and ruffled Suzaku's curly hair gently, and Suzaku tensed. It was the same gesture Tojo made whenever he wanted to comfort Suzaku whenever the young boy was depressed. It was either because his father ignored him or Tohdoh was being too harsh on him. He didn't notice it, but he missed Tojo very much.

"It's fine Suzaku, don't be too hard on yourself. Work on your own pace… and you will find answer to your problem." Tojo recited his old advice he always said to his student.

Suzaku nodded mutely. "Yes, sensei… but still I couldn't get Lelouch at all." He couldn't help but say, "I mean… what's wrong with swearing myself to him without asking for anything, I just want to protect him…"

Tojo sighed wearily, "Well… it's just how it works between boss and his knights."

"But, am I not his first? How he could know?" Suzaku asked curiously.

"The big tree mafia families, or called Trinisette famiglia in Italian… are very old families." Tojo pointed out, "Vongola, the family Yamamoto-san belongs to is already in their tenth generation… so approximately Vongola was at least 250 years old." He explained, "But the portrait of first rain guardian, who was a Japanese named Asari Ugetsu… the kimono he was wearing suggest the famiglia was born around early period of Heian era."

Suzaku sputtered in disbelief, "But that's… isn't that at least 800 years ago?!"

Tojo nodded, "I didn't have a chance to learn their complete history so I don't know the detail." But he had to admit Vongola aged so slowly that it's almost inhuman, the portrait of Primo when he was in late thirties looks like he was in his late teens. "In comparison… Millefiore famiglia we belongs to is relatively young, Lelouch is our second boss… so back home we call him Millefiore Secondo."

That was a pretty foreign name in his ears, "Second? I thought it suppose to be as old as Vongola?"

"It is… but because previous boss changed the name and merged the old famiglia with a couple of lesser famiglia the generation count reset. So Millefiore or Gesso as it was called is as old as Vongola actually." He explained in lofty tone. "Through that long history the three family worked together in harmony, and they shared a great deal of the same tradition… including that a boss have six peoples who answered only to him and named after weather phenomena."

That explained why that Yamamoto guy said he was his counterpart. "Are you saying Lelouch asked me to ask something from him as part of that tradition?" Suzaku asked in disbelief.

"I will not call it tradition." Tojo corrected, "It's just how it works between boss and his inner circle, when you swear ultimate loyalty to one of the boss among bosses… he or she will fulfill your greatest desire." He frowned, "Or so I heard back home… "

"But I…"

Tojo shook his head, "I talked to Sun Guardian of Vongola once." When he was injured in homeland, courtesy of being plainly unlucky to be on the way when Vongola's cloud was on his warpath. "It's not you ask for one million pound and your boss will give you that in exchange of your loyalty, it's not like that apparently but… one thing for sure, all guardians choose to be one for their own sake. They didn't become a guardian for anyone else but themselves… so does their predecessors, and Lelouch want you to do the same…"

Suzaku swallowed at that, "To be Lelouch's knight for my own sake… that's…"

"If you're still unsure, I think you can ask Yamamoto-san about it." Tojo suggested, "I never met him face to face before myself, but from what I have seen he is easy to talk with."

He nodded curtly, "Yes… he seems to be very friendly."

"Speaking of Yamamoto-san…" Tojo trailed off, shifting his eyes to the side. "He looks familiar... or rather he looks like other Yamamoto-san I know."

Suzaku blinked at that, then added. "Uhm… I was distracted back in Lelouch's office, but now you mention it Tojo-sensei… I have a feeling I have seen him somewhere before."

"If Suzaku-kun think so too, that means he is someone we both know of." Tojo concluded, "There're a lot of Japanese evacuated to Neo-Italy because their family have connection with mafia seven years ago."

That was quite a piece of news, there're Japanese peoples managed to escape from invasion. "So you think he is one of those Japanese, sensei?" He held no grudge for those who escaped, no one could fault them from escaping a hell like life as number.

Tojo nodded, "Yes… but still it's hard to recall who is he."

"Not to mention his name is Yamamoto." Suzaku couldn't help but sweat-dropped, "That's one of the most common family name in Japan." He recalled there was at least four maids working for his family with that surname, and one driver too. "What his first name again sensei? I think Lelouch said his complete name once just now…"

Tojo scratched his head, "Hm… I believe boss called him…"

_**"**And I will really… appreciate it if you didn't speak out of turn again Colonello."_

_"Hmph!" Colonello harrumphed, crossing his arm petulantly._

_"You too Yamamoto **Takeshi**."_

"Takeshi… " Tojo deadpanned, "An equally common Japanese name."

Suzaku frowned at the name, a supposedly common name which would have a string of people with the same name in Japanese society. Although long time ago there was one boy who Tohdoh-sense...

_"This is my student Suzaku, he is seven years old just like your son... I believe your son is trained in the way of sword too, Tsuyoshi-dono?" Tohdoh-sensei said, giving his shoulder a comforting pat.  
_

_Tsuyoshi-san nodded, patting the brown eyed boy beside him. "He is a talented boy, but you see... I think I'd rather not train him too much and let him enjoy his childhood. Beside you know Shigure Shouenryuu only take one week to be taught!" _

_Suzaku saw his teacher's eyes wandered to the other boy, inspecting the posture, muscle and eyes. "Good eye, and no less fit than my student... sport?" _

_"Baseball."  
_

_Tohdoh-sensei narrowed his eyes in displeasure. "Britannian sport? You allow your son to play that?" _

_Tsuyoshi-san laughed softly, while the boy shrunk under Tohdoh-sensei's disapproving gaze."Kyoushiro-kun... Who cares of politic? It's my son's passion, if my boy likes it I have no right to stop him." He said determinedly, and when Tohdoh-sensei was going to say something in protest Tsuyoshi-ojiisan cut him off. "Oh come on... don't bore the boys with politics and war, and I believe I have not introduce myself and my son. I am Yamamoto Tsuyoshi and this is my son... " _

_"Hi!" The boy offered his hand, and spoke before his father gave permission."I am Takeshi, nice to meet ya!" Using informal language when speaking in the presence of adult."Eh... what's your name again? Shizuku?"_

_Suzaku was ticked off, "Su-za-ku! The son of Japan Prime Minister, Kururugi Genbu! __My name is Kururugi SU-ZA-KU!"  
_

_Yamamoto Takeshi however didn't notice he had just irked a son of the most powerful man in Japan. "Oh Suzaku! And I am the son of Yamamoto Tsuyoshi, the 8th Shigure Shouen Ryuu master. My name is Yamamoto TA-KE-SHI!" He parroted with cheerful grin. _

_Suzaku almost wanted to cry when Tohdoh-sensei informed him the annoying boy was supposed to be his playmate and training partner for the duration of summer vacation. _

Suzaku's left eye twitched as realization dawned on him. "Ah..."

"You know him? Tojo asked curiously.

"Yes." Suzaku said in exasperated voice, "I know him." To think he was even in the same room and shaking hand with Yamamoto Takeshi and didn't recognize the guy at all...

* * *

**Back in Lelouch's office **

"So… around 9PM sharp, we'd have Rabbit Foot in our custody and after that more or less we use our stealth jet and retreat." Lelouch explained as he tapped their planned rendezvous point. "Your role in this Yamamoto, is to call out rain in case we need to dampen their pursuit, I have al but abandoned the thought we can do this secretly… so I'd like you to stand by in this point and be on guard until I give you a signal to go."

Yamamoto nodded, "Roger, that's a really deta… ha haa atchoo!" He sniffed, "Detail plan."

"Cold?" Lelouch asked, passing the rain guardian a box of tissue.

"No." Yamamoto wiped his nose, "Someone is talking about me for sure."

Lelouch snorted, "I don't believe that ridiculous superstition, and Colonello… even though I am not going to involve you in this mission doesn't mean you can't give any tips. And if you have something to say, you can say it now." Lelouch said flippantly as he rolled up the map.

Colonello gave him a long stare, "You know, idiot disciple of mine." Lelouch bristled on his seat but held his tongue. You're not arguing with your arcobaleno tutor called you names unless you had a dead wish, a lesson from Tsuna he followed religiously for the sake of survival.

"That boy… he is defective."

Lelouch's temper flared, his violet eyes shimmered like dying will flame. "Colonello…" He hissed warningly.

"I noticed that too." Yamamoto added. "His flame is a little…" He trailed off hesitantly. "Off."

The ex-prince tensed, his temper subsided as his eyes regained its normal hue. "Wait… what do you mean Suzaku's flame is off? He hasn't even trained to awaken his flame…"

"We used our flame to coax his dormant flame." Colonello explained in lofty tone, "So even though he has no ring and untrained, we can see his flame."

Takeshi nodded in agreement, "What he said… he will die for you, uhm… "

Lelouch clenched his fist, "Not just for me… from what I have seen…" He trailed off, "Suzaku will give his life to save anyone."

_Can't you make Prince Clovis see sense?  
Is it alright? If Britannia execute Leopold Acerbi for Regicide?  
Do you have to go that far?_

Yamamoto looked uneasy as he muttered, "Normally I will applaud such selflessness but to us, guardians of Vongola and Millefiore knights that's…"

Lelouch clenched his fist, "That's the highest taboo… for you who bind yourself to Trinisette, to be so willingly give up your life that's no longer yours." Their dying will flame manifested from their resolution, their determination to keep living and not giving up on their life. If someone willingly give up that life, their dying will flame would…

What happened to him? Suzaku he knew was always a good friend and willing to go to a great length to help him, but that recklessness he displayed back in Shinjuku Ghetto was not the same as that.

"Do you know what I see in him?" Colonello asked suddenly, startling Lelouch out of his thought. "I see a dead man walking."

**BAM! PRANG!**

Lelouch temper rose to his head, he almost couldn't think straight as he slammed his fist on the table, shattering the glass to pieces. "Colonello! Even though you're my tutor I won't forgive you if you dare to call my best friend that!" It was the foulest insult in their society, as they valued the will of living more than anything.

Yamamoto flailed, "Calm down Lelouch! And Colonello, that's too harsh!"

"So what do you see in that boy, Vongola rain guardian?" Colonello challenged, "That boy suppose to be our Millefiore counterpart and I will be damned to have someone who will bring shame to Cosa Nostra."

"Colonello you!" Lelouch stood up.

Yamamoto waved his arm in placating gesture, "Maa maa… calm down you two, listen to me please?" Lelouch quickly sank back to his seat, but judging from the scowl on his face he was still unhappy. He'd take what he could get, Yamamoto decided. "I think we can't call him dead man walking." Biting down 'yet' he knew would invite the ire of Millefiore's sky. "Since his dying will flame still response to ours, I don't think he completely lose the will of living… but… this Suzaku." He glanced warily at Lelouch. "Promise me you won't shoot for what I am going to say! I am just being honest here!" Then as if an afterthought he added, "And don't swear vengeance on me either please."

A vein popped on his temple, "How many times I told you already?! Stop thinking that I am going to swear vengeance against anything that moves!" They made fun of his revenge driven mindset since forever, and while he admit back then he was a little extreme and unreasonable, he was getting better!

"No, you're just swearing vengeance against anything that get on your nerve." Colonello corrected.

"Continue Yamamoto!" Lelouch barked, pointedly ignoring his tutor's jab.

Yamamoto coughed, "Right, uhm… when you asked what you could give in exchange of his absolute loyalty…" He trailed off hesitantly, "While I didn't know the guy as well as you do, don't you think he strangely try to shy away from this subject?"

"Yes." Lelouch answered without a hint of doubt, "It's definitely strange for me, because Suzaku I know…" He narrowed his eyes, "Will challenge me with impossible request just to get a rise out of me, or he will laugh at me and ask since when I become a God, or he will simply call me stuck up prince."

Takeshi and Colonello stared at him in disbelief, _Are you talking about the same Suzaku? That submissive guy? _

He added, "I am talking about the ten years old Suzaku of course." He looked up at Yamamoto, "So, what are you trying to get at?" He asked almost impatiently.

Takeshi smiled at him, it was a sad and full of regret. "I don't know what happen, but I can tell from his eyes… that guy has lost a lot or precious thing in his life." Lelouch could see from the way Yamamoto looking at him, the rain guardian was silently adding 'just like you' to him. "But unlike you he is at a lost of what to do to fill that emptiness he felt."

Lelouch's eyes widened in realization, Yamamoto was drawing a parallel comparison between Suzaku and himself. No wonder Yamamoto in spite of not knowing Suzaku, he had an inkling of what Suzaku experienced. Yamamoto's father was killed in invasion, he died to defend their city from knightmare corps. Until today Britannia was still at a lost of mysterious lost of one corps they dispatched to raze that small city of Namimori. Yamamoto who was left orphaned couldn't even avenge his father, because his father died together with his killers.

Yamamoto was not a type who will just avert his hatred on the whole country, and his father's last word was begging him to not let hatred blind him and take revenge for his father. Yamamoto Tsuyoshi meant well for his son, but he's not helping his son to coup with the feeling of lost and other negative feeling that consume him, with no outlet of it.

If not for Tsuna who become Yamamoto's purpose to keep living, Yamamoto would have…

Suzaku's father committed suicide. If Suzaku went through the same thing as Yamamoto, it could explain his borderline suicidal actions, and misguided brand of mercy. It still didn't explain why Suzaku became honorary Britannian and part of their army. It still didn't give Lelouch any inkling of what Suzaku hoped to achieve with it. His ambition to be the Knight of One to free Japan couldn't be for real right? Did he feel responsible for his father's death that caused Japan to surrender?

Or was it something horrible Suzaku almost told him? How horrible it was to a point Suzaku had a panic attack over it? He glanced at Yamamoto who seemed he wanted to say something. "Yamamoto." Lelouch began, "Just say anything you want, I seriously stuck in figuring out my old friend I thought I know better than I understand myself." He admitted bedgrudgingly.

The rain guardian frowned, "Even though you seems to know him so well…" He titled his head to the side. "Why?"

"If what you said is true, that he went through the same thing as you do… some factors contradict that." Lelouch pointed out. "If that's the case he'd not think to become the Knight of One and free Japan that way."

As one Colonello and Takeshi gave him an incredulous look, "Is that even possible?" Takeshi wondered out loud.

Great, even Yamamoto Takeshi who arguably the most optimistic one to the point of borderline idiocy out of all Tsuna's guardians didn't even think twice to point out the impossibility of a number to be part of Rounds. It seemed he really had to worry about Suzaku's sanity to even think it's possible.

Lelouch shook his head, "No, it's not unless the emperor have a change of heart regarding number system." You had to wait for an apocalypse happen first before that bastard did.

"Hum…" Yamamoto titled his head to the side, "Then, I don't get him at all..."

Colonello narrowed his eyes, "Perhaps either he is suicidal or foolishly ambitious, kora." He pointed out, "Or quasi combination of both."

Lelouch could almost feel his blood run cold at that, "You're kidding. The quasi combination is even more outrageous than being suicidal."

"But then, it no longer contradicting factors you said didn't fit." Colonello pointed out without pity. "Face the truth idiot disciple, and use that genius brain of yours and find your resolution to help that idiot friend of yours, kora!"

Lelouch barely aware the sound of Yamamoto flailing and protesting that Cloneelo dragged him out of the room, and leave Lelouch on his own. It was only when the door was slammed shut Lelouch turned his attention from the shattered glass table to the closed door.

He didn't know he had to be grateful or resent Colonello for pointing out what Suzaku's problem was.

Suzaku seek death, but in the same time he seek a meaningful death to atone himself. To atone something he had done Lelouch knew nothing of.

Those who bind themselves to one of Trinisette skies will have their greatest wish granted. But there's no way he'd let that twisted wish Suzaku had to be realized.

* * *

**In case you're confused, to the last line... if you think again Hayato find place to belong and someone to pledge himself to when he become Tsuna's family and the same thing goes with the rest of his guardians. Although Lelouch being Lelouch worded it in such way it sounds like take and give. **

**Now back to PAoST! I swear I will finish 9th chapter before the end of the year! DAMN IT!**


End file.
